


And Then There Were Three

by hopecanbeyoursword



Series: self-sacrificing friends stay together 'til the end [10]
Category: Black Panther (2018), Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Ceiling Vent Clint Barton, Clint Barton likes airvents, Gen, Glasses, Hydra (Marvel), Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Memes, Mentions of past abuse, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Percy with glasses, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Resurrection, Science Bros, Tony Stark's Collection of New York Teens, Trigger Words Similar to Bucky Barnes, Vibranium (Marvel), Vines, but enough to cause some damage, but for a different character, dad tony stark, not as effective brainwashing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-29 11:06:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 43,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14471334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopecanbeyoursword/pseuds/hopecanbeyoursword
Summary: It's early August, and now that the heroes know Percy's secret, he spends more time at the compound. And then two new guests arrive at the compound. With his last two weeks before he moves to New Rome for college, Percy's life flips upside down.(tags updated as the story progresses)





	1. So It Begins

**Author's Note:**

> Because it's about time Peter and Percy meet Shuri.

Peter was standing on the ceiling of the training room, a blindfold wrapped around his face, encasing him in darkness. He laughed as he dodged the swirls of water Percy was throwing at him, trusting his instincts to keep him dry, to keep him from falling on the ground.

 

He knew Steve and Natasha were somewhere nearby, training, though by now, they were probably watching him and Percy go through the training exercise they had created. It not only helped Peter hone his senses and learn to trust himself, but it helped Percy find new ways to use water to his advantage. 

 

They were training without the suit, wanting to build up Peter’s skill and confidence without the suit first. Once that was accomplished, they hoped he’d have no trouble with it.

 

_Master Stark and his guests are approaching,_ came FRIDAY’s voice, echoing through the room.

 

Peter heard Steve and Natasha immediately start whispering to each other about the guests, but he couldn’t linger to hear what they said, as he needed to focus on dodging Percy’s water swirls.

 

“What the—” a girl’s voice called out.

 

“ _Shuri!”_ a man’s voice chastised the girl. “We are guests here. You must be nice. You know there are powered people here.”

 

“Yeah, but we know who they are. We’ve seen their actual faces. But who are _they?”_

 

“T’challa, Shuri,” Tony’s voice sounded exasperated. “That’s Peter, on the ceiling. He’s Spider-Man. And the other kid is Percy, his friend.”

 

“I am _not_ a kid,” Percy responded, turning to look at the three who entered the room, still throwing water at Peter, even though he wasn’t watching his friend anymore. “Call Peter a kid as much as you want, but—”

 

“Hey, legally, for another week and a half, you _are_ a kid,” Steve pointed out.

 

“That’s so not the point,” Percy rolled his eyes. “And I thought we agreed to keep my powers a secret from anyone else? How come you let them walk in when we’re training?”

 

“I think if you knew who ‘they’ really are,” Natasha responded, arms crossed over her chest, one eyebrow raised, “you’d be fine with it.”

 

“Is that so?” Percy sassed back. He was one of the only ones not afraid of Natasha. Said she reminded him of his girlfriend, and while the blonde demigod could be terrifying, he knew and trusted her to the point he knew she wouldn’t hurt him. He was used to people giving him an attitude, having been a ‘troubled’ kid when he was growing up.

 

Steve was impressed by the way the older teen could stick up for himself against Natasha, and though she had scowled the first time it had happened, the two formed a bond of sorts that mostly involved them sassing each other most of the time, though everyone knew if they ever had to fight in battle, they would make sure the other was safe.

 

It was weird for the rest of the team to see how close the Russian had allowed Percy to get to her, how well they seemed to get along. They didn’t know exactly how their bond had come to be, but they would often catch the two of them training, going at it for longer than anyone else could, matching each other through every step. As well, they would occasionally exchange a few words in either Greek or Latin, laughing at something no one else could understand.

 

“Yes,” Natasha responded cooly. “Those are our allies. T’Challa, King of Wakanda, also known as the Black Panther, and his sister, Shuri.”

 

Upon hearing her words, Peter paused, taking his blindfold off, blinking at the light that hit his eyes. “Wait, what?” He dropped down from the ceiling, landing easily on his feet. His eyes were wide, excited about the guests.

 

“They’re here to discuss bringing their technology to the rest of the world,” Tony spoke up. “And no, you and Percy aren’t allowed to come to the meeting.”

 

“Neither are you,” T’Challa turned to his sister.

 

Shuri opened her mouth to protest, but she was cut off by Tony.

 

“Just— show her the lab,” Tony waved the teens off. “She might find something interesting there. You have your id badge?”

 

Peter nodded.

 

“Percy?”

 

“Yeah,” Percy pulled out the temporary badge he had been given to use until his official one was ready.

 

“Okay, then you should have no trouble in case anyone stops you.. Now go. We—,” he pointed at all the adult superheroes, “have things to discuss.”

 

* * *

 

Peter pressed his palm against the scanners outside the lab doors.

 

Once the door opened, allowing him access, the three teens filed in.

 

Peter sat down as he watched the other two look around, taking it in.

 

“Well, it’s no where near _my_ lab back home,” Shuri started. “But to be fair, considering you guys don’t have vibranium, it’s decent.”

 

“Since we’ll probably be down here for awhile, is there anything you want to work on?” Peter asked Shuri as he spun around on his chair. “Or should we get to know each other first?” He stopped spinning, turning to sort through the tools on his workspace.

 

“I really only know your names, so,” Shuri drawled as she raised an eyebrow. “You probably know more about me than I do about you two.”

 

“Alright, getting to know each other it is,” Peter nodded. “Um… I’m Peter Parker, and also Spider-Man as you know. Got bit by a radioactive spider. I go to Midtown Tech, live with my aunt, and I’m sixteen. And I have a service dog.”

 

“I’m Percy, and I’m almost eighteen. I live with my mom, step-dad and baby sister. I also have a service dog.” Percy fidgeted with his necklace as he talked.

 

“What about your powers?” Shuri asked, looking curious. “I know how the other heroes got their powers or skills, but I haven’t seen you before.”

 

Percy glanced at Peter, before looking back. “That’s uh… confidential. The other heroes know, but only because my world caught up with me when I was here. No one who isn’t part of it is supposed to know.”

 

She looked at him curiously, as if she wanted to push. However, she let it go for the moment, pulling out the phone Tony Stark had provided her with. After all, the only other one with kimoyo beads was T’Challa. If she wanted to keep in touch with anyone else, she’d have to use the phone. “How do you guys feel about memes and vines?”

 

Percy’s face lit up. He had known about them, as his mortal friends all had phones and shared the videos and photos with him. However, once he had gotten his own phone, he had fully immersed himself, making sure he was well informed. “I love them,” Percy pulled out his own phone.

 

“Good,” Shuri nodded. “Otherwise we couldn’t get along. I can tell you’re into science,” she looked at Peter, raising an eyebrow at his science pun shirt. “So I think we can get along, too. Though you’ll have to catch up.”

 

“You’re on,” Peter grinned. “Think you can get your hands on some vibranium?”

 

“We’ll see,” Shuri responded as she showed a meme of her brother to Percy. “It’ll take time to convince my brother.”

 

“What do you think they’re talking about? I mean, specifically?” Percy pulled up a meme Leo had made of Jason. “Think there’s any way we can listen in?”

 

Peter’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, FRIDAY might be able to help us out. I don’t know if Mr. Stark put up any safeguards specifically for this meeting, but it won’t hurt to check it out.” He made his way over to the computer in the corner of the room, pulling up a screen in which he typed in his username and password. After a minute, he grinned triumphantly. “Got it! And I covered my tracks, so no one will know we hacked the system.”

 

The video feed went up on the big screen, and the three teens gathered around, silent as they waited to hear what was said.

 

Sitting around the conference table were all the heroes who were currently at the compound. Tony and T’Challa sat side by side at the head of the table. On Tony’s other side was Steve, followed by Natasha. On T’Challa’s other side was Bruce and Clint. Bucky sat across from Tony and T’Challa.

 

T’Challa was laying out his plan, Tony stepping in every once in a while to add in information or budget information.

 

“This isn’t as interesting as I thought it was going to be,” Peter admitted.

 

“Are all the heroes there?” Shuri asked, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

 

“Yeah,” Peter nodded. “What are you planning?”

 

“I was thinking, what better way to become friends with someone than pulling a prank?”

 

* * *

 

Peter was leading the other two through the vents. Clint had shown him around the week before, and now it was coming in handy. He had one of his web shooters tucked in his pocket, ready to use. Shuri had a Stark Pad tucked into a bag strapped to her side, along with a few other items she had snagged from T’Challa’s room. These items weren’t going to be used in this prank, but she had come up with ideas upon seeing them, and grabbed them to use in future pranks. 

 

Percy brought up the rear, an extra kimoyo bead bracelet on his left wrist. Shuir had found the beads when she was in T’Challa’s room.

 

“Here we are,” Peter whispered. The vent had gotten wider, and the three teenagers spread out, lying next to each other shoulder to shoulder as they peered into the conference room.

 

Shuri pulled the Stark Pad out, her fingers flying across the screen as she typed in commands. The bracelet on Percy’s wrist glowed for a second, then dimmed again. After typing in a few more things, Shuri grinned, slipping the device back in the bag.

 

Getting the signal from Percy, Peter pulled out his web shooter, adjusted it, then aimed through the vent at the hologram projector that was on the table.

 

“Now,” Shuri whispered.

 

In the next ten seconds, a lot of things happened.

 

T’Challa’s kimoyo beads lit up with a call from “Nakia.” As he went to answer it, the projector was aimed away from the front of the room, the images on all four walls, courtesy to a few systems being rewired. The images changed from tables and graphs to a music video as “Never Gonna Give You Up” started blasting through the speakers.

 

And instead of Nakia’s face appearing, there was a photo of the three teens grinning, Peter in his classic web shooting pose, Percy throwing up a peace sign, and Shuri on the older teens back, the Black Panther necklace clearly hanging around her neck.

 

Both T’Challa and Tony let out out audible groans of annoyance. Natasha didn’t look surprised, and Clint was laughing into his hand.

 

“Why did you have to show him the air duct system?” Steve looked at his teammate. 

 

“Hey!” Clint protested. “Are you trying to blame this on me?”

 

“Well, Peter knew how to get here because of you,” Bucky muttered, just loud enough to be heard over the music.

 

“I didn’t expect this, though! First of all, I was _not_ expecting the princess.”

 

“This has Shuri written all over it,” T’Challa agreed. “I don’t think it was a good idea to introduce her to those two.”

 

“Just what I needed,” Tony pretended to complain. “It was already bad enough with Peter. Then came Percy, and then there’s MJ and Ned. But Shuri, too? How long are you two are staying here again?”

 

“Three weeks,” T’Challa sighed heavily. 

 

“How much trouble can they get into?” Steve tried to calm them down as the music came to an end, and they didn’t have to yell to be heard anymore.

 

“I won’t put it past my sister to do a lot more of this.”

 

“And it’s still summer,” Tony pointed out. “Which means both Peter and Percy can hang out around here a lot more.”

 

Realization dawned on the super soldier’s face. He exchanged glances with Bucky and Natasha. “I guess we’re in for a crazy couple of weeks.”


	2. New Friends and Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy, Peter and Shuri get closer, and the older heroes learn something new about the demigod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets kinda heavy, with mentions of past events of Percy's childhood (Gabe, mostly).

Laughing, the three teens made their way back down to the lab, exchanging comments on their favorite reactions to their prank. Peter had made sure FRIDAY would save the recording, and had it sent to all of them.

 

“Okay, okay, that was great,” Peter grinned as he sat down in his chair. “I think the three of us are off to a great start. I know they’re going to try and get us back later, but we should be safe for awhile. They’ll try and catch us off guard.”

 

“So what now?” Percy asked. “We have a few hours until dinner.”

 

“Uh, I guess we could work on something? We have the whole lab available to us.” Peter gestured around to the large room. “Shuri, do you have any ideas?”

 

“I was working on designing new armor, similar to my brother’s suit. Maybe you two would have some input, as you both have done more actual fighting in battle than I have.”

 

“How did—” Percy started to ask.

 

“It’s obvious,” she shrugged. “The way you carry yourself, the scars on your arms. The exercise you and Peter were doing when I first arrived. The two dogs running around the yard. My guess is you’ve been fighting in battle for maybe five years?”

 

“Uh, yeah,” Percy nodded. “Started when I was twelve.”

 

“Then your experience will come in handy with finding the right prototype. Are both of you willing to help?”

 

* * *

 

Percy frowned, frustrated at the words on the paper Shuri had handed him. The letters were all mixed up, and as his frustration grew, it got harder to read. He was usually okay with his dyslexia, as the majority of his friends could understand. But right now he was with two geniuses who could easily make sense of the complicated equations he was supposed to be looking at.

 

They had started working about an hour ago, but the majority of that time had been tossing ideas back and forth. Peter had different necessities than Percy did, since being an enhanced superhero was different from being a demigod. They fought different enemies, and lived different lives. Peter was looking for something to use only in battle, when Percy needed something that could be on him at all times. After all, he never knew when a monster would attack.

 

Groaning, Percy pushed his chair back, letting it spin him around, his feet pushing down on the ground when he wanted to stop. He let his head fall back, and he stared up at the ceiling, wanting the swimming letters and numbers to disappear.

 

“Percy?” Peter asked, looking up from the paper he was looking at, pencil tapping against the table. “You okay?”

 

Percy shrugged, before looking at his friend. “Numbers aren’t great for my dyslexia. Reading is hard enough, usually. Adding numbers into equations is worse.”

 

“Shoot, I forgot about that. Sorry, dude,” Peter apologized. 

 

“Nah, it’s good,” Percy shook off the apology. “It’s not like you can do anything about it.”

 

“But I can,” Shuri spoke up for the first time in an hour.

 

Both boys turned to look at her.

 

“What? Like I’ve said, your technology is not very advanced compared to what we have in Wakanda. If I can get my hands on some vibranium and a pair of glasses, I could easily make something that’ll counteract the affects of dyslexia.”

 

“You can do that?” Percy asked incredulously.

 

She shrugged, a smile on her face. “It’s not that hard as long as you have vibranium.”

 

“I have a pair of old glasses in my room, if those’ll work,” Peter piped up. “I needed them before the spider bite, and I kept them, just in case.”

 

“Yes, those should work. I’ll pop the lenses out and put in the special ones. Give me a few hours— the process won’t take long, but convincing my brother to give me vibranium might take time.”

 

* * *

 

“Try these on,” Shuri gestured towards the pair of black thin plastic framed glasses on the table.

 

Percy picked them up, examining them before putting them on, using his index finger to push them up the bridge of his nose. He blinked as his vision swirled for two seconds.

 

Then Shuri shoved a piece of paper into his hands. “Read this.”

 

Percy’s eyes widened behind the frames as he looked at the paper, surprised to see that he could easily read the equations.

 

“So?” Peter asked, looking questioningly at his friend.

 

“I- I can read this. No problem,” Percy responded, awe in his voice. “Wow, thanks, Shuri.”

 

She smirked, proud of her work. “If you’re lucky, maybe I’ll make some more for your friends. For now, you have the only pair. Now, hand me those papers,” she pointed at a pile near Peter, “and let’s get to work on those armor prototypes.”

 

* * *

 

It took time to get used to the glasses on his face, but by the time dinner rolled around and the three teens made their way to the dining room, he forgot they were there.

 

He missed the curious looks between Steve, Clint and Tony, too busy talking about ideas with his friends.

 

“So,” Steve asked as they sat down to eat, “I see you have a new look, Percy.”

 

The demigod was confused for a minute, before realizing what he was talking about. “Oh, uh, they were Peter’s?”

 

“I needed them before the bite,” Peter explained, before going back to his food. 

 

“Shuri used vibranium to make lenses that counteract my dyslexia,” Percy shrugged. 

 

“So that’s why she needed it,” T’Challa murmured to himself. “At least she wasn't creating a weapon or something.”

 

“Nah, just the glasses. They’re really helpful. I’ve been struggling with it all my life. It uh, comes with being who I am,” Percy was careful with his words, knowing that the new guests didn’t know about his world. “It’s kept me back in school. Made me hate learning. People used it pick on me for it, among other things, like ADHD.” He said it so nonchalantly, used to it. It had been a constant in his childhood, no matter how bad that was. “Only my mom realized my potential, thought I could be smart.” He moved to take a bit of his food, only to see everyone, including Bucky and Natasha, looking at him, concerned or angry looks on their face.

 

“What are their names?” Bucky asked, anger present in the crease of his eyebrows.

 

“What?” Percy looked up, confused. “Whose names?” He was surprised to hear that much concern come from the man, as they weren't very close. However, he remembered hearing stories about how Bucky stuck up for Steve before the latter became Captain America. Percy figured Bucky was just looking out for him.

 

“I think Barnes means the people who used to bully you.”

 

“Oh,” Percy blinked, looking at Natasha. “Pretty much everyone I went to school with from kindergarten to sixth grade. Then only about half until high school.”

 

“What school?”

 

“I went to a different school every year. Kicked out every year. Only went to one school for more than one year. Mom wanted what was best for me. When she married my current step father, things got better. First one... let’s just say I’d rather have the bullies.”

 

“What’s. His. Name.” Bucky looked murderous.

 

“My first step-father?”

 

Bucky nodded, ignoring everyone else looking at him, surprised that he seemed to care about Percy so much, as he hadn’t been around them long.

 

“He’s dead,” Percy shrugged, picking up his glass of water. He normally wasn’t so open about his childhood with people he didn’t know well, but it was just coming naturally to him at the moment. Peter was one of his best friends, and now that the other heroes knew about the demigod world, he found that it was easier to trust them. The only ones he wasn’t sure about were T’Challa and Shuri, but he was already becoming fast friends with the princess.

 

Everyone looked surprised, shocked or slightly traumatized at how causally he stated the fact, no remorse or guilt in his eyes. No, he looked almost... pleased?

 

“Well, I guess technically, in the eyes of the authority, he’s “missing.” But it’s been almost six years, so he’s a cold case now. But yeah, he’s actually dead. Don’t ask how. I can’t tell you right now, and it’s not because I’m afraid of being caught by the authorities or questioned or something. Because it’s part of my world, and not everyone here knows about it.”

 

There was silence as everyone, save for Peter, digested the news. They knew the older teen had been through a lot, seen death and likely, though sad, probably killed. But to be so pleased, with absolutely no guilt was a surprise. Some of the aged heroes would still feel a little remorse when they killed someone, knowing they had a family, or a job, or something, even if it was a villain.

 

“I can tell what you’re thinking,” Percy didn’t need to look up to see their faces. “That maybe I’m heartless, or enjoy killing people. That’s not it. I only kill when I have to, and only when it’s not a human. Sure, I fight other people, but never to kill. The amount of death I’ve seen... it’s something I’ll never get over. I’ve seen friends die, right in front of me, hell, sometimes even because of me. I’ve had people die in my arms. I’ll never get over it. But Gabe? He deserved it.” Percy’s voice was final.

 

“Gabe wasn’t a good man,” Peter interjected, looking over at his friend. “Percy told me about him. Normally, you would never catch me wishing death on anyone. You know I saved the Vulture, even after he tried to kill me. But Gabe did deserve it.”

 

Tony especially looked surprised at how even Peter’s voice was, how firmly he believed that this man deserved to die. 

 

After getting a silent approval from Percy, Peter continued. He had been entrusted with the darkest parts of Percy’s history, and in order for the other heroes to truly understand, he’d have to tell them. “He abused Percy and his mother for years. Verbally, mostly. He’s a big reason why reason Percy is insecure about his intelligence. He only had his mom, no friends, until he was twelve. But it got emotional sometimes, and occasionally, physical. Percy and his mother had enough when he was twelve. And now Gabe is gone.”

 

The look on both boy’s faces made it clear they were done discussing the topic. 

 

“So...” Shuri looked between her two new friends, trying to break the tense and awkward silence left in the wake of Peter’s statement. She would try and talk to them later about what was just revealed, but she knew here and now wasn’t the right time. “Anyways, our plans? You two on for working on them more later?”

 

Just like that, the three teens were chattering about the armor they were working on, laced with vibranium to keep others safe. They hoped that not only superheroes would use it, but that if it went well, “Percy’s People” (name dubbed by Shuri) could use it was well.

 

The adults, though, were exchanging looks between them, all concerned with how Percy’s childhood had gone.

 

They had known it hadn’t been perfect, after seeing Percy’s reaction to feeling like drowning. However, they didn’t know to what extent it had gone, especially how it had been before entering the mythological world. They had known about Percy’s mother, and his current step-father, knowing how much they cared about him. They had even learned a little about Poseidon, and how although the god was not supposed to interfere with his son’s life, he did what he could.

 

It was a shock for him to tell them all so easily, especially when T’Challa and Shuri, two people he didn’t know very well, were present. They knew it had to have been hard for him to relive the past, but they were glad to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a long time since I updated this story, or this series. I had the end of the school year, and I'm currently on vacation in Italy. As well, I have my AOS story I'm working on, future installments of this series, and a new story, one for B99 (since I recently became obsessed with the show).
> 
> If there's anything you want to see in this story, or future installments of the series, please let me know!
> 
> And I know Percy opens up a lot about his past in this story. But he trusts Peter with his life, and thinks he can trust Shuri. As well, he trusts the older heroes (except T'Challa, since he just met him). I needed this information to be known to everyone else, so I put it here. It just came naturally when I was working on this chapter.
> 
> The next chapter will have supportive Shuri. She knows that she'll have to talk to Peter and Percy about what was said, but wants to do it when it's just them.
> 
> Until next time!


	3. The Beginning of Something Great

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team bonding occurs.

The three teens made their way back down to the lab once dinner was over, talking excitedly about what they were working on.

 

Shuri kept an eye on the boys, watching curiously as she saw them standing closer than they had before, Peter trying to hide the concerned look on his face. Though she didn’t know them well, she could tell that their friendship was built on trust, that they understood what each other went to.

 

She paused her contemplations when they reached the lab, Percy and Peter scanning their ID badges to get in.

 

“Let’s get back to work on those designs,” Peter suggested as he sat down in his chair, spinning around a few times. “We have time before movie night.”

 

“How often do you have movie night?” Shuri asked as she pulled up a few images using her kimoyo beads. “I did not imagine you heroes would do something like that very often.”

 

“They didn’t use to,” Peter shrugged. “Not right after everything calmed down after the fight against Thanos. But they’re trying to trust each other again, so movies nights and group outings happen sometimes.”

 

“If only that worked with everyone,” Percy laughed. “Movies don’t solve everything with the people I know.” He thought about Luke, the mental image of the son of Hermes sitting around with other campers watching a movie and throwing popcorn at each other amusing. Despite the fact that it seemed ridiculous, part of Percy wished it could’ve worked.

 

“What kind of powers do these ‘people you know’ have?” Shuri asked as she worked on a design. Percy had mentioned there were others like him, that they had powers, all inherited in the same way, which made the princess curious. She wanted to find out what kind of person he was.

 

“My one friend has control over fire, another over air and storms and stuff, kinda like Thor, I guess. Another over the dead, one over the earth and gems. Not everyone has an obvious power like me, but we’re all fighters. A lot of us have trained since we were kids for our fight. And not everyone makes it to adulthood.”

 

Shuri frowned at that. Though it would be nice to have the years of training in case a threat appeared, becoming a warrior, a fighter instead of getting a childhood was not something she would ever wish for. She never fooled herself to the fact that she would live forever, especially after Thanos and his armies invaded her home. She now knew what heroes faced, knew that her brother was one of them and that though he was king, he was also the Black Panther. He would try and protect Wakanda however he could. Instead of spending time worrying that he would be okay, she upgraded his suit to keep him as safe as possible.

 

“Well, let’s see if we can change that. Come here,” Shuri gestured for Percy to join her. “I want to try making something that may help you.” She took measurements of Percy’s forearms and wrists, jotting them down. “Do you mind demonstrating your powers? I’d like to see what these gauntlets should be capable of handling.”

 

Percy nodded. He was sort of surprised that Shuri was jumping head first into helping him, but he could tell she was like Annabeth: once they made up their mind, it was best to go along with it. 

 

“Should we go up to the pool?” Peter piped up. “Or we could head to the city tomorrow, maybe Long Island?” Peter shot a smile at Percy. Turning back to Shuri, he continued. “He’d have access to much more water there, and you could see more.”

 

“Let’s start with the pool,” Shuri decided. “I would like to get started on prototypes soon. Then maybe we can convince my brother to let us go to the city tomorrow.”

 

“Let’s go then,” Peter stood up. He closed out of the programs he had up, before heading towards the door. Once Shuri and Percy stepped out of the lab, Peter turned the lights up and locked up.

 

The elevator stopped at the common room floor, where the heroes were spread about. Clint and Natasha were sitting together on a couch in the corner, talking in a mix of Russian and sign language. Peter had gotten used to seeing that, knowing that though usually they spoke in English, sometimes they preferred talking in either their first language (Natasha) or with their hands (Clint). As partners when it came to fights, they understood each other better than most, and would fall into whatever language they wanted to without any trouble. Peter himself was learning sign language, since he knew Clint didn’t always feel like wearing his hearing aides, and sometimes reading lips could get tedious.

 

Steve, Rhodes and Tony were in the kitchen, leaning against counters as they talked in low voices. Rhodes had stopped by for dinner, and would be staying for a while. They were also expecting Thor to pop by, as he had promised to visit when he got the chance.

 

Meanwhile Bruce, T’Challa and Bucky were flipping through movies, trying to decide what the group would be watching. There was usually a schedule to who got to pick the movie, but it hadn’t been updated to incorporate T’Challa and Shuri.

 

Tony was the first to notice them. “Back so soon?”

 

“Nope,” Peter shook his head. “Just heading up to the pool so Percy can show Shuri his powers. We’re working on something.”

 

“Any one want to join?” Percy asked, peering his head out of the elevator. “Because I have a feeling some of you do.”

 

“Sure, I’ll go,” Tony pushed off the counter. “Anyone else?”

 

Steve was the next to join them, followed closely by Natasha, Clint and Bruce. The rest of the heroes exchanged looks, before shrugging and getting on the elevator.

 

Once they got to the right floor, Peter led them towards the pool, excited to see his friend’s powers in action. It never got old.

 

Everyone else sat around the pool, waiting for Percy to do his thing.

 

Taking a deep breath, Percy concentrated on the water, feeling the familiar tugging sensation in his stomach. He called on the water, and it responded to him, creating a funnel of water that raised him up into the air. He created shapes with the water, both a giant hand that lifted Peter up, the young hero laughing, and a sword, that looked liked Riptide. 

 

Letting the water bring him back to the ground while also setting Peter down, Percy incased himself in a sphere of water, where he calmly talked to them, breathing without issue.

 

He had been working on his fear of suffocation, and while it was far from cured, it was getting a little easier.

 

Feeling slightly tired, he stepped out, letting the water fall back into the pool gently, smiling when he revealed himself to be completely dry. 

 

“Is there anything else you can do?” Shuri asked.

 

“Uh, talk to horses and aquatic animals. That, and the water powers, is all I stick to.”

 

Natasha noticed his word choice. It seemed there was more Percy was capable of doing, that was within his realm, that he didn’t feel comfortable with. She would look more into that later.

 

“Let’s do some more one on one training tomorrow,” she stood up as she aimed her comment at the demigod. “Since you last longer than most of these heroes,” she smirked. 

 

“You’re on,” Percy grinned back.

 

“Oh, and speaking of tomorrow…” Peter trailed off as he looked over at Tony.

 

“What is it, kid?”

 

“We wanted to go into the city. Maybe stop off on Long Island?”

 

Tony glanced over at T’Challa. As the adults responsible for the younger teens (T’Challa as a brother, Tony since May was out of town and Peter was staying at the compound), they would get final say.

 

“I don’t know about this,” T’Challa started.

 

“But both Percy and Peter are native New Yorkers,” Shuri argued. “They know how to navigate the city, and it’s not like any of us would be useless in a fight.”

 

“I don’t go anywhere without Riptide,” Percy interjected. “And if we’re on Long Island and something comes up, I’ve got friends who can be there to help.”

 

“Riptide?” T’Challa asked.

 

“His sword,” Tony waved it off. He knew, logically, that the three teens could handle themselves. But he didn’t want them to run into any trouble, which he knew followed Percy and Peter everywhere. However, he also knew Peter was responsible, and both he and Percy knew the city well. “You can go,” he cut off Peter’s cheering with a raised hand. “On one condition.”

 

“Anything!”

 

“Percy’s in charge. He’s older than you, and has more experience when it comes to battles. And speaking of battles, no looking for trouble, either. If something you can’t handle, or shouldn’t handle, comes up, you call me.” Tony knew that though Percy attracted more trouble, and could get into mischief, he would keep his friends safe. And with more demigods nearby, they could handle it. “I am assuming your mother is okay with this?”

 

“Yeah, I was planning on visiting… people anyways,” Percy responded.

 

“Good. So do we have a deal?” Tony turned back towards Peter.

 

“Deal!” Peter responded eagerly. “Can Shuri come too?” Peter asked T’Challa.

 

T’Challa sighed heavily. “Very well. But the same conditions go for you, too, sister.”

 

“Thank you, brother. Let’s go,” Shuri pulled Percy and Peter behind her. “We have a few things we should do to be prepared for tomorrow.”

 

As they headed back inside, T’Challa turned towards Tony. “I have a feeling we are going to regret this. My sister can get into a lot of trouble.”

 

“Just be ready to head into battle. Percy and Peter have a knack for finding trouble. Percy is literally a homing beacon.”

 

“Speaking of Percy, what are the origins of his powers?”

 

“That is complicated,” Tony stood up. “His world exists among us, mostly in New York, right in front of our eyes. Most never notice it, but Peter is one who does. I would love to tell you more, but sadly, it’s Percy’s place to say something. But don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll see him in action before you leave.” 

 

Both heroes headed inside to join everyone else, who were all gathered in the common room with bowls of popcorn. 

 

The teens had hijacked the controls, picking out the movie. No one was in the mood to argue, as the chosen movie was one all of them could enjoy.

 

Natasha and Clint were back in their spot from earlier, Bruce and Rhodes next to them. On the other couch sat Tony, Steve, Bucky and T’Challa, with the three teens spread out on the floor.

 

FRIDAY dimmed the lights, and they settled in. 

 

While the movie was playing, Percy pulled out his phone to send a message to some of his friends. He had many group chats, but the one he was looking for consisted of Annabeth, Grover, and Rachel. They were the only three who knew everything about both his demigod life, and the life he had before he discovered who he was. His trust in them was unshakeable, and there were never any issues. They knew everything first, though now Peter could be added to that list. However, there were some things Peter couldn’t understand when it came to the demigod world, thus the group chat was born. (There were plenty of other group chats that Peter was a part of, and group chats of every combination possible.)

 

 

 

Seaweed Brain, Wise Girl, Lord of the Wild, the Oracle   
squad goals

 

**_Seaweed Brain:_ ** _so i mightve accidentally spilled all my deep dark secrets of my past to the heroes??? like about gabe & evrything_

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _Percy, are you okay? I know that was probably hard_

 

**_Wise Girl_ ** _: also, completely different note, but i will beat anyone up if they give you a hard time for that_

 

**_the Oracle:_ ** _i’ll help you with that, annabeth_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: yeah i guess.peter was there_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: and lol thanks guys but not necessary_

 

**_Lord of the Wild:_ ** _am I right to assume they took it well? it felt like it_

 

**_the Oracle:_ ** _still checking in regularly with the empathy link?_

 

**_Lord of the Wild:_ ** _yeah, it can be kind hard to ignore sometimes_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: sorry about that, g-man_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: but yeah, they were surprised_

 

**_Seaweed Brain:_ ** _bucky seemed the most mad @ gabe. i dont even kno him well_

 

**_Lord of the Wild_ ** _: nothing to apologize for_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: :)) <3_

 

 

Percy smiled, glad his friends had his back. He had nearly laughed out loud when Rachel and Annabeth threatened to beat up the heroes if they gave him a hard time for his past. He knew they wouldn’t be the only ones. 

 

 

 

Seaweed Brain, Queen of Rome, Diamond in the Rough, Spidey  
Ave Rome

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: so Annabeth and Rachel just threatened to beat up the heroes_

 

**_Spidey_ ** _: rude???_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: not u tho, peter_

 

**_Queen of Rome_ ** _: what did they do? did they say something? do hazel and i need to help?_

 

**_Diamond in the Rough_ ** _: yeah, what happened?_

 

**_Spidey_ ** _: okay good_

 

**_Spidey_ ** _: but why??_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: i told them and grover about how i told the heroes about my tragic childhood_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: and they said if any1 gave me a hard time 4 any of it, they would beat them up_

 

**_Queen of Rome_ ** _: well, did they? because i’ll help_

 

**_Diamond in the Rough_ ** _: i’m not usually an advocate for violence_

 

**_Diamond in the Rough_ ** _: but in this case, i agree_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: nah, they were more surprised than anything_

 

**_Queen of Rome_ ** _: okay so i won’t be making a trip to new york tonight_

 

**_Spidey_ ** _: nah, you’re good_

 

**_Spidey_ ** _: since i’m here too,_ _i’ll keep you updated_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: true friends, all of u_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: wanting 2 fight superheroes_

 

**_Spidey_ ** _: i think we should focus on the movie now percy_

 

**_Spidey_ ** _: they’ve noticed the phones_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: yeah we don’t want a repeat of last time_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: so bye!_

 

 

The rest of the night went well, the heroes exchanging comments about the movie. Whether it was their opinions on a character or actor, a theory, or something else, they all shared what they were thinking. It was a small thing, but it was helping building up trust.

 

They felt like a team again that night. Not the same one they had once been, but one that had the potential to be better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for not updating in forever. I have parts for this story that come later written out, but it's been tricky writing this chapter to line up with the timeline I have. There will be more characters coming in later, including Thor and a surprise sighting of a demigod not heard from in a long time.
> 
> I'm going to try and aim for updating this story every week, but if not, every other. Thanks for bearing with me.


	4. New Friends and Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter, Percy and Shuri start their New York journey, and Tony decides it's time to face the music.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone can think of a better chapter, feel free to let me know.

Peter was up bright and early, which was a change of pace from his usual schedule.

 

He quickly got dressed, throwing on another of his science pun shirts, before grabbing his backpack. He had packed it last night, putting in the Spider-Man suit, a few extra web slingers, some money and a water bottle.

 

He bounded out the door after saying good morning to Karen, eager to get to the kitchen.

 

Steve and Rhodes were sitting around the table, talking quietly as they ate. They were usually the first two up, sometimes joined by Bucky or Natasha.

 

“Hey guys!” Peter smiled. “Is anyone else up yet?”

 

Rhodes shook his head. “Tony and Bruce had a late night in the lab, so they’re both still sleeping. Hopefully for at least a few more hours. T’Challa and Bucky should be getting up soon.”

 

Peter nodded, letting the man know he heard him. He set his bag down on an empty chair, then went looking for breakfast. He grabbed a bowl of cereal and a bagel, pouring a glass of orange juice for himself as well.

 

“You’re awfully excited,” Steve observed. “Excited to go into the city?”

 

“Yeah, I am. We’re gonna test out some of Percy’s powers, and show Shuri the city, and we might meet up with a few of the Greek demigods. Oh, speaking of Percy, I should see if he’s up yet.”

 

Peter pulled out his phone to send a message to his friend.

 

**_Spidey_ ** _: percy are you up?????_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: unfortunately yes_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: need sleep or coffee or both_

 

**_Spidey_ ** _: well then drink coffee and get over here! i’m ready to go and shuri should be soon!_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: …why did i agree to getting up so early…?_

 

**_Spidey_ ** _: because you love us_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: i love annabeth too but that doesn’t mean i get up this early to hangout with her_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: even she lets me sleep until ten sometimes. eight is too early to exist_

 

**_Spidey:_ ** _but we’re gonna have so much fun and you might see some of your demigod friends!_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: fine fine i’m up_

 

 

Percy yawned as he dragged himself out of bed. He pulled on a clean shirt and jeans, before making sure Riptide was tucked into his pocket. Glancing at himself in the mirror hanging over his dresser, the demigod decided there was no point in trying to tame his hair. Instead, he grabbed the baseball cap Annabeth had left in his room the other day, shoving it on his head.

 

As he left his room, he grabbed his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. Inside was ambrosia and a bottle of nectar. He had no idea what he’d run into, but as a demigod, he had to be prepared for anything.

 

He made his way to the kitchen, where the rest of his family was already awake. Percy greeted his parents, before kissing both his mom and sister on the forehead. 

 

“Excited for today, sweetie?” Sally asked as she handed him a plate with a few blue pancakes on it.

 

“It’s too early,” Percy grumbled. “But yeah, once I’m awake it should be fun.”

 

“I’m surprised you agreed to get up this early,” Paul commented as he helped Estelle eat her breakfast. “Don’t you usually wait until like, eleven when you and Annabeth or Rachel plan something?”

 

“Yeah,” Percy mumbled before taking a bite of his food. “But Peter and Shuri want to get an early start. I have no idea how they can stand being up and ready at this time.”

 

Sally smiled softly. She knew her son tended to need more sleep than most, even with the Achilles curse gone. He had been through a lot, and she would let him sleep as long as he could on the night when the nightmares didn’t appear. She knew they would never fully be gone, but they were getting better, and that’s what mattered to her.

 

She made her way over to the counter, grabbing a plastic container. “Here,” she handed them to her son. “I made you three some cookies.”

 

He brightened at that. “Thanks, mom.”

 

Ten minutes later, Percy was pulling his shoes on, before grabbing Andi’s leash. He called for her, and when she appeared from the kitchen, he carefully put on her vest and leash.

 

“Have fun and stay safe!” Sally called out as Percy left.

 

“I will!”

 

* * *

The drive to the compound was uneventful. Andi enjoyed sticking her head out the partially open window as Percy focused on the road.

 

He was driving to the compound, where he’d leave the car. The three teens were going to take public transportation, as it would be less of a hassle.

 

When the compound came into view, Andi got excited, as if she knew she would be seeing Lola soon. As soon as Percy dropped off the car and let Andi out, her tail started wagging. She kept close to Percy, but her energy was contagious. Percy laughed as he watched her, before jogging with her to the door.

 

He made his way to the common floor, where he spotted Clint and Natasha in the kitchen eating breakfast, the redhead downing cups of coffee.

 

“Hey, do you know where Peter is?” Percy asked as he filled a mug (with a trident on it because Peter thought it was funny) with coffee, making himself at home. It had taken him awhile to get used to be in the compound and around the heroes, and for the first few months, he had been polite, asking for things instead of grabbing them himself. By this point, everyone insisted he was welcome, and if he couldn’t find something himself, he would ask FRIDAY, the AI always helpful.

 

“He went back to grab something from his room,” Clint responded. “Should be back soon.”

 

As if on cue, Peter swung into the room, an excited look on his face once he spotted his friend. “Percy! You’re here!” Once he was securely on the floor, he called for Lola, who came running out of the common room, where she had been curled up on the rug.

 

“Is Shuri ready?”

 

“Yeah, she’ll be up in just a minute.” Peter was bouncing up and down on his feet, excited.

 

Percy just rolled his eyes at the action, smiling. He finished his mug of coffee, before filling it up half way. He took the hat off, running his fingers through his hair.

 

Two minutes later, Shuri appeared, a small bag slung over her shoulder. “You two nerds ready to go?”

 

“Like you’re not one, too,” Peter stuck his tongue out. “But yeah. Let me just put on Lola’s vest and leash, then we can head out.”

 

“Don’t get into too much trouble,” Clint called out.

 

“We won’t,” Peter promised. “We’ll call for backup if we need it.”

 

“Μείνε ασφαλής,” Natasha ruffled Percy’s hair as she stood up to clean up her dishes.

 

“Yeah, yeah, we will,” Percy responded as he scrunched up his nose, shoving the hat back on his head, though the small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth gave away his true feelings.

 

The teens made their way to the elevator, where Steve and Bruce were stepping out. After a quick exchange of words, they finally made their way downstairs.

 

Happy drove them to the nearest train station, where they’d start their journey.

 

Percy and Peter expertly made their way through the crowds, their dogs at their heels as Shuri wrinkled her nose at how crowded it was. Sure, streets in Wakanda could be crowded, but nowhere near as crazy as New York was.

 

“How do you manage all these people?” she asked as they stood next to each other on the platform, waiting for the next train to arrive.

 

Percy shrugged. “I’m just used to it. Everyone has somewhere they need to be, so they’re not really focused on others.”

 

“As much as I’m used to public transportation, I really wish I could just use my webs. Much faster,” Peter muttered under his breath.

 

Percy laughed. “Do you want a secret identity or fast transportation?”

 

“I wish I could have both,” Peter admitted as they stepped onto the train.

 

They were able to find a space big enough for all of them to stand close to each other, Andi and Lola sitting at Percy and Peter’s feet, eyes wide as they scanned their surroundings.

 

Shuri decided to watch the scenery pass by, so she moved closer to the window, while the boys stayed where they were.

 

Ten minutes later the crowd on the train thinned out a little, enough that they weren’t pressed against each other with not much space to move.

 

“Any of your friends that we might see today?” Peter asked.

 

“Uh, Katie, Will, Rachel and Jake are going to be around. I told them if we have time, we’ll stop by camp. I mean, we can’t actually go in, but meet by Thalia’s tree. That way the dogs can run around a bit. If not, they said they could meet us somewhere. Chiron approved them to leave camp.”

 

“Jake is from the Hephaestus cabin, right?”

 

Percy nodded. “He was head counselor for a short time, after… Beckendorf and before Leo. He didn’t really want the title. But he’s a good guy.”

 

Peter smiled sadly at the mention of Beckendorf. He knew the story, knew that even though the son of Hephaestus’ ghost told Nico to tell Percy that he didn’t blame him for his death, that it was one of the hardest losses for Percy, for the camp. 

 

Andi whined softly, before licking Percy’s hand in comfort, electing a smile from the son of Poseidon.

 

“It’ll be nice to see them. I’d like to get to know Rachel better. I’ve really only talked to her through texts and an IM once.”

 

Percy grinned. “I think she’ll get along just great with you and Shuri.”

 

At the mention of the Wakandian, Peter turned to look for her, finding her still near the window, looking out at the people walking on the street below them. They moved closer to her, not wanting to get separated. Their dogs cleared the way, and in no time, they were next to her.

 

Shuri smirked as she spotted the orange sign up ahead. Leaning in towards Peter and Percy, she whispered, “Road work ahead?”

 

The boys looked up, grinning when they saw the sign. “Uh, _yeah_ ,” they started.

 

“I sure hope it does!” The three teens finished off in unison before laughing.

 

“Okay, this is our stop,” Percy glanced at the upcoming station. “Let’s head for the doors.”

 

Once they pushed past the crowds and got down to the sidewalk, they stepped to the side to figure out what they were going to do first. They had decided what they wanted to do, but with plans to meet up with Percy’s friends, they had to figure out what their schedule was going to be.

 

“Should we test out Percy’s powers first, then have fun?” Peter asked.

 

“We could meet up with my friends, then they could join us for part of the day,” Percy suggested.

 

“That works,” Shuri agreed. “I would like to see what you are capable of.”

 

Percy nodded, before sending off a message to the group chat of friends he would be seeing that day.

 

 

 

Seaweed Brain, the Oracle, Sunny Days, Mason Jar, Garden Party

summer hangout 

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: we’re gonna head 2 halfblood hill now_

 

**_Garden Party_ ** _: we’ll meet you there in about an hour?_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: yeah sounds good :))_

 

**_the Oracle_ ** _: i’m excited to actually meet peter_

 

**_Mason Jar_ ** _: who did u say was this girl-that-doesn’t-know-about-us is?_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: she’s staying @ avengers compound w/her bro_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: theyre cool!! she wants to see my powers and make something 4 me_

 

**_Sunny Days_ ** _: if she’s anything like peter, i think we’ll get along_

 

**_Garden Party_ ** _: says you, solace_

 

**_Mason Jar_ ** _: he IS the only one of the rest of us who’s actually met him irl_

 

**_Garden Party_ ** _: hush, mason. you know i like giving solace a hard time_

 

 

Percy laughed before putting his phone away. “They can’t wait.”

* * *

 

An hour later, the three teens and two dogs were at Thalia’s tree, where they spotted four other teens waiting for them.

 

Percy and Peter took the vests of their dogs, knowing that if a flashback or anxiety attack hit, they could count on Andi and Lola to be at their sides in a heartbeat. The demigods respected service dogs, even though not many demigods had them, though there were many who could benefit from them.

 

The dogs immediately perked up and though they stayed close, proceeded to run around, excited.

 

Rachel was the first one to meet them, and after a quick greeting with Percy, she went to go say hi to Peter and Shuri, Jake and Will behind her.

 

Meanwhile Katie hung back to talk to Percy first.

 

“Percy,” Katie smiled as she saw the demigod. “It’s great to see you. And Andi, of course,” she leaned down to pet the dog since she was currently off duty.

 

“Hey, Katie,” Percy smiled back, hugging her. “How’s camp?”

 

“It’s weird not having you around as much as the past summers,” she shrugged. “But it’s been good. We have a few new campers, and we’ve had no surprise quests, except for, you know.” Since Shuri was within hearing distance, even though she was talking to Rachel, they wanted to be cautious. Percy had filled his friends in that he was bringing someone who didn’t know about their world.

 

“Yeah, I know,” Percy laughed. “I know well. ‘Lester’ stopped by my apartment earlier this summer. But I needed a break. I want to be there for Estelle, and I’m finally getting help to deal with everything I’ve been through.”

 

“I’m glad,” she patted him on the shoulder. “Now, I think you should introduce me to your new friend.”

 

They made their way over to where the others were, exchanging a few more words about that summer’s camp.

 

“Hey,” Percy interjected. “Shuri, this is Katie Gardner. She’s another friend from camp. This is Will Solace,” he pointed at the blond, “Jake Mason,” the demigod waved, “and Rachel Dare.”

 

“As in Dare Enterprises?” Shuri raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

 

Rachel scrunched her nose up. “Sadly. I don’t approve of what my father does, but I can’t do much. He sent me off to boarding school instead. Trust me, I don’t want anything to do with what he does.”

 

Shuri nodded, looking satisfied. “Good. I don’t like what he does, either. He will never get my country’s land.”

 

“Then we’ll get along,” Rachel smiled. Her smiled turned to a look of curiosity. “Where are you from?”

 

“Wakanda,” Shuri responded. 

 

“You’re the ones with all the vibranium!” Jake’s eyes were wide. “Dude, that is so _cool_. My dad likes to make things out of metal, and the interest has passed down.”

 

“Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll get to test something out. I made Percy a pair of glasses using vibranium to counteract the affects of dyslexia, since, apparently, that is something your kind deals with.”

 

Jake’s eyes widened even further. “I wish Leo was here. He’d be freaking out, too. Percy, your friends are so cool. I mean, vibranium, superheroes…”

 

“Royalty,” Peter added on, a playful smile on his face.

 

“You know royalty?” Will asked.

 

“Princess Shuri of Wakanda,” Percy nodded his head towards said princess. “She and her brother are in town for a couple weeks.”

 

Katie raised an eyebrow, impressed. “Way to go, Jackson.”

 

“I like her,” Shuri decided. “Do any of you have powers as well? Fighting skills?”

 

The demigods looked hesitantly at each other.

 

“You don’t have to explain how you got them. She’s just interested to see the range of powers we have,” Percy explained.

 

“Yeah, we do,” Katie responded. “We can all fight. Like he said before, Jake likes making things. He’s good with his hands. Will is good at archery and he’s a healer. I’m good with plants, which sounds kind of lame, I know. And Rachel…”

 

“I can sometimes see things that are going to happen in the future,” Rachel tried to explain being the Oracle without giving away the existence of Greek gods. “But of the four of us, I think you’d be most interested in Katie’s powers.”

 

“Alright, then let’s see what Percy and Katie can do.”

 

* * *

Tony nervously tapped his fingers on the table.

 

Things had been getting better for the team, but it wasn’t perfect. He could manage team meetings when Rhodes or Bruce were there, or when Peter was around so he could focus on the teenager. Movie nights didn’t require talking, and he usually stayed near whichever teens were at the compound, or Rhodes or Bruce. Even training wasn’t too bad, since they were focused on skills.

 

But normal interactions could still be tricky. 

 

The Rogue Avengers had been pardoned for months, and were reintegrating themselves back into life with the other heroes. For the most part, Tony could avoid one on one interactions, or situations where he was outnumbered by the Rogue Avengers.

 

However, now that everyone was adjusted to living together again, some of the Rogues tried to strike up conversation with Tony. 

 

He kept running away from those situations, using a Stark Industries excuse, or saying that Peter or Pepper needed him for something, but those excuses wouldn’t work forever.

 

Tony was the most comfortable around Nat. She may have switched sides on him, but he wasn’t surprised. Neither of them wanted to actually hurt their teammates, but when that outcome seemed to become inevitable, she stepped in and tried to stop it. Sure, it ended with her becoming a Rogue Avenger, and it had stung knowing he had one less teammate on his side, but he understood.

 

He also understood why T’Challa ended up helping Bucky, even though the king originally wanted revenge. Bucky Barnes and the Winter Soldier were not the same, even though they wore the same face. As much as it hurt knowing that a man wearing the face of Steve’s best friend killed Tony’s parents, he knew it wasn’t Bucky’s fault. But knowing it and accepting it were two different things, and if he had found out in a different way, maybe things would have been different.

 

Tony was trying to not feel angry when he saw Barnes, but the loss of his parents had been brought to the forefront again.

 

But even Barnes wasn’t the hardest to face. No, that right went to none other than Steve Rogers.

 

Sure, in groups Tony managed, and they had had a small conversation before, but with others present _and_ while Tony was busy being worried about Percy’s panic attack. But Steve wanted to talk to him, and Tony wasn’t sure if he was ready. 

 

At one point, he trusted Steve with his life, and though he still did, it was different. In battle, they would always fight to protect each other. But now, after Siberia, after seeing someone who was supposed to be a teammate, a friend, _family_ , almost kill him… Tony wasn’t ready to trust him fully. Not yet.

 

Pepper and Rhodes, while not wanting to push him to do something he wasn’t ready for, voiced their opinions on how it might help. Tony didn’t have to forgive, or forget, but running away from the problem wasn’t the best way to cope.

 

Sadly, Tony agreed, which is why he had agreed to talk to Steve. The talk would happen in Tony’s lab, where he had the home turf advantage, where he could lock Steve out and himself in if it got to be too much. Pepper and Rhodes were on standby if needed.

 

What made Tony the most frustrated was that he _wanted_ to be able to trust Steve Rogers again. After they got over their initial hostility, they had been able to work well together, up until the Civil War. Tony still counted all the Rogue Avengers among friends, the list of people he didn’t want to see die, even if he didn’t admit it. They had been through too much together to throw it all away, even after everything that happened.

 

Tony understood why Steve was so adamant about saving his friend. Tony understood it better now more than ever, ever since Peter entered his life. Sometimes it scared the inventor how fiercely protective he felt over the teen.

 

Steve had admitted, on his first day back after being pardoned that once he cleared his mind, he understood why Tony felt the Accords were the best thing for the team.

 

They hadn’t talked about the incident since, but it was clear that now, both men could understand the other’s point of view, and could least agree they went about solving their issues in the wrong way.

 

Hearing a knock on the door of the labs, Tony put on a blank expression, trying to hide his emotions like usual, and told FRIDAY to open the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I've shown a little of Tony interacting with the Rogues before, but I want to focus on it a little more. Things aren't perfect, and the team will never be exactly the same again. But they trust each other in battle, and know they need to in real life. Tony is good at avoiding feelings and situations he doesn't like, but he knows he can't forever. It's the hardest to face Steve, but knowing he will always have Pepper, Peter and Rhodes at his side, makes it easier.
> 
> Next chapter will have more adventures for the teens, and a Tony & Steve conversation. Coming up soon will be a new plot arc that I'm excited about.
> 
> ((I've decided to start making playlists for certain stories/series I'm working on. Songs that inspired me to write the story, or ones that remind me of it. If any of you have songs that remind you of this story, let me know!))


	5. Conversations and New Arrivals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Steve talk, and Katie and Percy shows off their powers. Plus, the arrival of a new character.

“Tony.”

 

“Steve,” Tony tried to stop himself from nervously tapping his fingers against his leg. “What brings you to the lab?”

 

“I wanted to talk to you. About what happened between us.”

 

Tony sucked a breath in as he felt his heart speed up. Only two people besides the three who had been in Siberia knew what happened, as far as Tony knew. He wasn’t sure if Steve told anyone, but when the nightmares reached an all-time high, Tony had told Pepper and Rhodes. They had been furious at Steve for awhile, and though they still weren’t happy with the super-soldier, they knew that this wasn’t something that could be ignored forever.

 

Pepper had avoided the topic for awhile, knowing it was too soon for a conversation. But she knew when it went from pushing away so as not to cause more trauma, to simply avoiding it like the plague. She didn’t expect a conversation to fix everything, and she wouldn’t be surprised if Tony decided to not forgive. Neither she, or Rhodes, would blame him. What had happened was not something someone could easily recover from. She knew Tony, though, and knew at some point, he would have to face it. And it would be better if he could choose where and when, rather than have it sprung on him.

 

That’s what led him to this moment.

 

“Then talk away, Cap.”

 

* * *

 

The teens made their way away from the road, as they didn’t want anyone to see what they were up to. Katie and Percy’s powers could not be explained easily, and they couldn’t count on the Mist to fix everything. Once they got to a clearing in the woods next to a pond, they stopped.

 

“Okay, I want to see Katie’s powers first,” Shuri fiddled with her kimoyo beads, pulling up a video recorder.

 

Katie stepped forward, taking in the plants around her. She knew where her strengths laid, and wanted to showcase her powers at their fullest. Though she wasn’t a child of the Big Three, that didn’t stop her from being powerful.

 

She stared at a vine that was creeping around the tree and thought about what she wanted to happen. When she first realized her powers, she had to say aloud to the plants what she wanted them to do. But with a lot of practice, and help from her older siblings, she had gotten non-verbal commands down.

 

Shuri and Peter, as the only two who hadn’t seen her powers before, watched in awe as the vine curled away from the tree, growing longer as it snaked its way towards them, wrapping Will up, before dangling him upside down.

 

“Hey!” the son of Apollo called up, face turning red. “Really, Gardner?”

 

Katie smiled back, shrugging. “Hey, they wanted to see what I could do. I thought this was a good warm-up.” But she had the vine set Will down gently on the ground, before curling back up where it had been. Then, without warning, she called upon the trees, whose branches intertwined, creating a dome around them and the pond. Some of the branches wove together to create chairs that were sturdy enough to sit on.

 

The dogs sniffed around, before curling up together on one of them.

 

“Do you think she would be able to control Groot?” Peter whispered to Shuri. “I mean, he’s a tree.”

 

“I have no idea, but I suspect she could,” Shuri responded. “If the Guardians come back to earth, we’ll have to test that out.”

 

“Thor is supposed to visit soon. Maybe he can ask them to stop by!” Peter was bouncing on his feet, in awe of Katie’s powers, curious about his hypothesis, and excited to see Percy show off his powers.

 

“If they do, and I’m not around, you need to send me the results.” As Shuri spoke, she flipped through the recording. She turned towards Katie. “That was impressive. When did you discover your powers? How naturally did they come to you? How many others do you know of who have similar powers?”

 

“I’ve always had them, but didn’t know about them until I was eight or nine,” Katie took a seat on one of the branch chairs, the others following suit. “I liked being in the gardens when I was younger, and the plants I took care of always flourished more than the ones my father took care of. I had to work at my powers, to achieve this level,” she waved her hand around at the dome. “I had help to get nonverbal commands down. There’s about twelve of us here at the ‘base’ in New York, though some of the older ones are scattered around. I’m not sure about in California.”

 

“Katie’s one of the most powerful, now,” Percy interjected. “She’s impressive in a fight.” Turning towards the demigod, he asked her a question. “How’s the progress coming on your cabin?” He clearly remembered the Demeter cabin being destroyed when they fought the Colossus Neronis, and how it also destroyed the dining pavilion. It had been his first fight of the summer, but compared to his last few summers, it was easy.

 

“Malcolm has been working on it, with advice from Annabeth. It’s coming along. I wish the progress was quicker. None of us like being stuck in cabin eleven.”

 

“I don’t blame you,” Percy laughed.

 

“Travis and Connor have gotten into even more trouble than usual with the new cabin mates,” Will rolled his eyes. “The amount of bandaids I have to give to them is insane.”

 

“Guys,” Jake interjected. “Shuri has no idea what we’re talking about, and Peter doesn’t know the whole story, either. He visited _before_ the destruction.”

 

“Did this happen that one week you were too busy to do anything?” Peter asked. “And cabin four was destroyed?”

 

“Yes and yes,” Percy replied. “I’ll fill you in later. So, Shuri. Ask away. We’re willing to answer most questions.”

 

“Is there anything else you can do that you didn’t show us?” Shuri asked.

 

“I can grow plants quickly from seeds, though my half-sister Meg is better at that,” Katie shrugged, remembering what little of her younger sister’s powers she had seen. “Anything I do with my powers uses up some energy, so I try not to do too much at once, unless I absolutely have to.”

 

Shuri made a note, before nodding. “Okay, I think I have all I need from you. I want to try making something that might help you. Is it possible to, at some point, see you guys fight? Peter told me there’s footage of Percy fighting, but I would like to see it in person.”

 

Jake nodded. “Yeah, sure. We aren't really prepared now, but we can find a time.” Though they all had their weapons on them, they weren’t all dressed for it. Though they knew a monster could attack at anytime, they hoped they were close enough to camp that if something went seriously wrong, help would come. Also, there were four competent demigods and Rachel, who could fight. Jake wasn’t sure about the other two, but they seemed like they wouldn’t be useless in a fight.

 

“I’ll be here for the next two weeks, then I’ll be back in October.”

 

“I’ll see when we’re all free, and get in touch with Percy. He can get in touch with you, right?” Jake asked.

 

Shuri nodded. “Thank you, Katie, for showing me what you can do.” She turned away from the daughter of Demeter as she reset the camera. “Okay then, Percy. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

 

* * *

Steve sighed heavily before speaking. “I want to apologize.”

 

All Tony could do was blink in response. He hadn’t been expecting an apology. At least anytime soon.

 

“For Siberia,” Steve clarified. “I shouldn’t have gone that far. Hurting you like that… even when we were at our worst, I never wanted you dead. And then I almost killed you. I knew what I was doing, but I couldn’t stop. I just… Bucky is family. The only family I have left from before all of this. I couldn’t loose him. Do you know what that’s like?” The super solider knew Tony cared about a handful of people, even if he never admitted it. But he didn’t know if Tony knew what it was like to have the urge to do anything, _anything_ , to try and keep someone safe, alive.

 

It took Tony a minute to realized it wasn’t a rhetorical question. “Yeah,” he responded. “I do, probably better than you’d think.”

 

“Rhodes? Pepper?”

 

Tony shook his head. “I love them both, but no.”

 

Steve looked curious. “Then, who?”

 

Tony glanced down, not surprised to see his fingers curled into a fist, nails gently pressing against his palms. He rarely admitted, even to himself, how important Peter was to him. Rhodes and Pepper were the only ones who knew how far it went, that the teen was more than an intern, or a mentee. 

 

“Tony?” Steve’s voice seemed far away. “Are you okay?”

 

_He sounds worried_ , Tony’s mind made a mental note. _Why would he be worried?_

 

A hand hesitantly coming to rest on Tony’s shoulder snapped him back to the present. When he realized it was Steve, Tony shied away slightly, taking a step back.

 

“Are you okay?” the super soldier asked again, hand hovering awkwardly in the air.

 

“Fine, just fine,” Tony waved it off. The decision on whether he trusted Steve enough to tell him about Peter, more than what he knew, was weighing on him.

 

“Do you want to tell me? Or is this another thing we aren’t going to talk about?”

 

Tony bristled at the words. “This isn’t about if I’m finally going to open up to someone about something. Rhodey and Pepper know. This is about if I trust you enough with the person I try and keep safe every single damn day, who I’ve failed.” Tony tried not to think about Peter’s fight with the Vulture on the plane, and on the beach. And he tried even harder to block out the thought of Peter alone, with only his handmade suit, trapped under a building. That secret had come out while the teen healed from the war against Thanos, and from thinking Tony was gone during the two weeks he had been MIA.

 

“Don’t think I don’t know what it is to love someone that much. Rhodes is my best friend, and I’m marrying Pepper. But no matter how important they are to me, there’s one person who I have a stronger urge to protect. I can’t fail him, not like I’ve failed Rhodey and Pepper.”

 

Steve winced at the mention of Rhodes. He knew of the man’s severe injury that was a result of the Avengers’ civil war. That, and what he did to Tony in Siberia were two things that weighed heavily on him. He was trying to start mending the bridges that had broken, wanted the two men to know how sorry he was about their injuries. “Wait—” Steve’s mind caught on another detail. “You and Pepper?”

 

“Yeah. You missed a lot.”

 

“I’m starting to realize that,” Steve looked slightly dazed. “We only got bits and pieces of the news. Well, congratulations.”

 

“Thanks,” Tony replied curtly. “But can we focus on the topic at hand?” The man wanted to get the conversation over as soon as possible.

 

“Right, yeah,” Steve replied sheepishly. He wiped the expression off of his face as he continued. “Don’t tell me if you don’t trust me. I understand if you don’t. I don’t blame you.”

 

“Whether I do or not doesn’t matter. I should be able to trust you,” Tony responded, annoyed. “We have to be able to work as a team again. What happened with Thanos… maybe if we had prepared _together_ , things would’ve gone differently. Better.”

 

“The fight with Thanos… We couldn’t’ve known how bad it was going to be. How soon it was going to come.”

 

“I knew that was coming, Rogers! For six years, Thanos has been in my head, and none of you believed me. I tried so hard to keep the team together, because I _knew_ what was coming.” Tony was yelling at this point, hands waving around to emphasize his point. This was the sticking point, one of the main reasons he tried so hard to keep the team together. “If we had been prepared, I think there would’ve been less casualties, less damage. I wouldn’t’ve been gone for two weeks, leaving Pepper, Peter and Rhodes worried out of their damn minds, afraid that I was dead. Knowing how they were affected… I can’t let that happen again.”

 

Steve was silent for a moment. He remembered the first time Tony had said something big was coming. They had all pushed it off, even though Bruce looked like he wanted to hear more.

 

Steve though about how starting after the Battle of New York, Tony tried to bring the team closer. First by offering them a place to live, then by upgrading all their weapons. He kept the kitchen stocked with their favorites, and had a gym they could use that stood up to super soldier standards. And in exchange, most of them didn’t act grateful. Even now, after everything that had happened, Tony had yet again given them a place to live.

 

“I— we,” Steve stumbled over his words, before sighing heavily. He knew there was nothing he could say to put him, or the others, in a better light about this issue. “You’re right, we didn’t believe you. We should’ve. Teams need to be able to trust each other. And we didn’t trust you about that. We should have given you a chance to explain.”

 

“Damn right,” Tony muttered under his breath as he moved away from Steve, busying himself with an upgrade for Rhodes. It helped him keep his emotions under control if he had something else he could look at. “You also could’ve listened about the Accords. I get you didn’t agree. But we could have worked out something. I tried to take you guys in without any conflict. I _tried_ , Steve. All of you—” Tony paused, taking in a deep breath. “Ross tried to get me to find you guys. It wasn’t hard to figure out where you’d gone. But I feed him wrong information. I worked on upgrades for all of you, made new rooms even though I usually avoided talking about everything that happened.”

 

Steve closed his eyes as he took in the words. He never considered that Tony had known where they had been. Even after the fight at the airport, and _Siberia_ , the man tried to protect him in the only way he knew. 

 

Too many people saw the persona Tony put on for the media, not who the man actually was. He showed he cared in the ways he knew how: giving them weapons upgrades, giving them a place to live, leading the authorities away from them. It was hard for Tony to verbalize his feelings, probably due to how he grew up. The Avengers had been some of the only people he trusted, and then they bailed on him.

 

“I’m sorry,” Steve whispered. “And thank you.”

 

“I made mistakes, too, Cap,” Tony shrugged a shoulder as he tinkered with some wires. “I could’ve listened to your views on the Accords. I could’ve tried harder to avoid a confrontation. And this is how I’m making up from it. I can’t take back what I said, what I did. I know that all too well.”

 

“I’m sorry for not telling you about your parents as soon as I knew. You deserved to know.”

 

“Don’t…” Tony pressed his eyes tightly shut as his hands curled into fists. “You don’t… I don’t like talking about them. Howard was never really a father to me. I thought he was driving drunk or something, and that it was his fault my mother died all these years. She was more of a parent to me. I know it wasn’t Bucky. It was the Winter Solider. But… I don’t know if I’m ready to accept that yet. Not when I haven’t had the chance to process it yet, not with everything going on. I will. I’ll get there. But not yet.”

 

Steve opened his mouth, as if to say something, but decided not to. He couldn’t ask Tony to rush his healing process, not when he had to mourn his parents again. Steve could tell that the other man meant that he knew it hadn’t been Bucky, that he was willing to try and accept that. It was a start.

 

Trying to change the subject, Steve asked a question. “How are the others doing?”

 

“There aren’t too many ‘others,’ Rogers,” Tony gave a humorless laugh. “Thor’s trying to rebuild his home. Bruce is around here most of the time, working with me in the lab. Peter is handling being a neighborhood hero and high school fairly well. And Rhodey is doing well with his physical therapy.”

 

“Tell Rhodes I’m sorry.”

 

“You should tell him yourself.”

 

“I will.”

 

It was silent for a minute.

 

“I’m guessing the person you were talking about earlier was Peter?” Steve watched the way the man reacted.

 

Tony’s face became a blank slate, but he couldn’t hide the fondness in his eyes as he talked.

 

“Yeah. He’s… he’s a good kid. Tries his hardest. Worries me and his aunt to death half the time, but that’s why I have all the protocols in place. I can monitor whenever I feel he’s getting in over his head. He’ll be a good hero, and defender, when he gets old enough. I don’t know many kids as smart as him.” The man thought about Shuri, and Peter’s two friends, MJ and Ned. The three of them were also very smart, and he knew and appreciated it. They’d be the minds that changed the future, that could pave the way to a new and better world.

 

“I’d like to get to know him better, if that’s okay.” Steve had had a few passing conversations with the teen and his friends, and had trained a few times with him, but nothing more. The super soldier wanted to help Peter with his super strength, because he knew what it was like to be scared of your own strength.

 

“Yeah, whatever. I can’t really stop him if he wants to.”

 

Steve could tell that Tony was getting anxious, the conversation lasting longer, and being more serious, than either of them originally thought it would be. Steve guessed that both of them imagined something more like a screaming match where they both walked away angry. But they had made progress, and the air seemed lighter between them. They would be okay. Not right away, but they would be.

 

“I’m going to head up, see what the others are up to. You going to be at movie night?” Steve stood up, making his way over to the door. He saw the relief on his teammate’s face as the conversation came to an end.

 

“I will,” Tony nodded his head as he watched the other man leave. As soon as he was out of sight, and the doors to the lab closed again, he took in a big, shaky breath, before sitting down. It had gone better than he thought it would, but it still took a lot out of him.

 

Once he felt steady enough, he left the lab, FRIDAY locking it down, and made his way up to his bedroom.

 

* * *

“How’d it go?” Pepper asked quietly as she closed the door to their bedroom. She walked quietly, but quickly over to where her fiancee was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out the window.

 

“He apologized. For Siberia. And for not telling me about my parents.”

 

“Good.” Pepper crawled onto the bed, wrapping her arms around Tony’s shoulders from the back. “He really hurt you.” She knew that Tony wasn’t blameless, but he was good at carrying guilt, and she didn’t want to make it worse. He came out of the fight worse, so she didn’t ask if he had apologized, too. That would come later. She needed to make sure he was okay first.

 

“He explained why he did what he did. Not in the rushed, frantic words that he used back then, but _actual_ thoughts.”

 

“How did you take it?”

 

Tony glanced down at his palms, taking in the small, crescent indentations there. “Some things he said… It’s not perfect, but it’s better. We’re not trying to rush things. We barely even yelled at each other.”

 

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Pepper moved to sit next to him, letting her head rest against his shoulder.

 

“Yeah. Surprising, but good.”

 

“Do you think it’ll get better?”

 

“With time. Nothing will undo what was done, but we understand each other better now. He said congratulations, by the way. To us, for getting engaged. He asked about Rhodes, and wants to apologize him.”

 

“I’m glad he was willing to talk about this with you. I know you weren’t happy about it, but it needed to happen.”

 

“I know, Pep,” he pressed a kiss against her forehead. They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Tony spoke again. “I told him about Peter. He wants to get to know him better.”

 

“And?”

 

“I told him it was up to Peter. I can’t tell him he can’t get to know the others.”

 

“You’re a good man, Tony Stark,” Pepper smiled. Sometimes it was hard for Tony to accept that even though Peter was still a kid, he was old enough to make his own choices. The man cared about the teen, and he wanted him to stay safe. “Are you still up for movie night? I was thinking I could join you guys. I’d like to say hi to Peter and Percy, and meet Shuri.”

 

“Yeah, I was going to go.” The team was having bonding sessions more often now that T’Challa and Shuri were visiting, so everyone could get to know them.

 

“We have another two hours until dinner. Let’s just relax until the teens get back. It’ll do you good.”

 

“That sounds like a plan,” he smiled at her. They readjusted so they were more comfortable, leaning against the wall.

 

“I love you,” she kissed his forehead.

 

“I love you too.”

* * *

 

Percy called upon the water of the sea, and the nearby pond, causing it to whirl into a small tsunami that beat against the edge of the beach that was a few meters away. The water grew dark, and began to froth angrily, waves getting bigger and bigger. One washed over the demigod, and when it receded, he was fully dry.

 

Deciding he didn’t want to only show the destructive nature of water, Percy showed them something else.

 

With a flick of his wrist, the grove they were in was encased in a bubble of water. Then, in a sphere of water that floated up from the pond, fish started swimming, following Percy’s instructions. The dogs look entranced, eyes never wavering from the small bubble and the colorful animals.

 

“So you can actually talk to fish?” Shuri asked.

 

“All aquatic animals. And horses,” Percy responded. He wanted to bring up Blackjack, but as Greek mythology was still a secret to Shuri, he didn’t. “My cousin, Hazel. She has a horse and I can talk to him.”

 

“Do they have anything interesting to say?”

 

Percy snorted. “Not Arion. Honestly, all that horse does is swear. But he’s fast, and Hazel likes him, so we all put up with him.”

 

Shuri nodded. As she made a note, she thought about what else she could ask. She knew, since Percy was close friends with Peter and would be at the compound often, if she thought of something later, it would be easy to find him and ask him. So she thought about something that might go hand in hand with others like him.

 

“Have you tried using your powers in tandem with someone else before? Like, would Katie’s plants benefit from the water?”

 

“We’ve never used our powers together, but I have created a storm with my cousin, Jason, before. He has control over winds, lightning and stuff like that. Our powers combined can be pretty powerful,” Percy stated, matter-of-factly instead of bragging. He knew they were powerful, but didn’t flaunt it in anyone’s face.

 

“Can you do anything else?”

 

“That’s all,” Percy looked uneasy. “I control water, I can fight, and I can talk to sea creatures and horses. I don’t use my powers for anything else.”

 

Shuri raised an eyebrow. “You’re very deliberate in your word choices. I didn’t ask if that’s all you did. I asked if you could, potentially, do something else.”

 

“Yes,” Percy responded. “But I don’t.”

 

“Okay,” Shuri nodded. “You don’t have to tell me,” she continued, sincerely. “I just wanted to know if more was possible. I will make sure to create your gauntlets with the capacity to handle a stronger power. If you are ever comfortable telling me, I will upgrade them. Sound good?”

 

“Yeah,” Percy nodded, glad she hadn’t pressed him. He didn’t like thinking about how strong his powers could be, and Andi had sensed his uneasiness, as she had come over to sit next to him, nose on his lap.

 

“So this cousin. Do you think I will have the chance to see his powers at some point?”

 

“Yeah, he’ll be visiting in October.”

 

“Storm powers, yes?”

 

“Yeah, he’s super powerful,” Jake interjected. “Though I don’t think anyone could beat Percy. Even Nico agrees, and he has control over the _dead_.”

 

“Yeah, Solace. Your boyfriend is quite the fighter," Katie smirked as she poked her friend.

 

“Yeah, but that just means I have to patch him up after,” Will retorted, cheeks pink.

 

The dogs whining interrupted the conversation. Both Andi and Lola were looking up at the sky from their places near Percy and Peter. The one side of the grove they were in was open, and it let them see the darkening sky.

 

Out of nowhere, the sky rumbled, and a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, turning the sand in front of the teens into glass.

 

Immediately, the demigods were on their feet, weapons at the ready. Percy had pulled Riptide out of his pocket, and the other three demigods grabbed their swords, and in Will’s case, bow and arrows, from their hiding place nearby. Rachel held a small dagger in her hand, something she was decently comfortable with, as she had been training with Annabeth and Piper. Peter hesitated for a minute, before covertly sliding on the web slinger he had put in his pocket that morning. Shuri pressed a button on the bracelet she was wearing, which expanded out into a gauntlet.

 

They stood together, tense. The demigods and Rachel were worried that Zeus was mad. Katie and Percy were ready to use their powers.

 

However, instead of the familiar Greek god of the sky, another figure appeared.

 

“Thor?” Peter gasped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, so I got a little into my personal thoughts during the Tony & Steve conversation... If you can't tell, I'm team Iron Man. But that does not mean I don't like Cap or his team. I just happen to like Tony more. I'm not going to be bashing Cap or his team, but I needed what was said to be said.
> 
> That said, I hope you're excited for Thor's arrival. With him, my next story arc will be starting, though not right away. Another character will make their appearance within the next two chapters.


	6. Revelations and a Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Domestic Avengers, the Greeks meet Thor, Shuri finds out the origin of her new friends' powers, and a mysterious figure escapes his 'prison.'

Steve made his way to the common room, where he found Natasha and Clint in a debate about the best way to kill someone with a rubber band.

 

“How’d it go?” Natasha asked as she casually flicked the archer with a rubber band.

 

“Ow,” Clint glared at his friend, a pout on his face.

 

“Better than expected,” Steve sighed as he plopped down next to them. “Not nearly as much yelling as I thought there was going to be.”

 

“Did you apologize?” the assassin asked, flicking Clint again. “Because you should’ve.” Though she had ended up siding with Steve at the end of their civil war, she _had_ started out on Tony’s side. She knew they needed to start taking responsibility for their actions, and the Accords would help with that. However, when it seemed the fight would end up with too many injuries, she had tried to make sure her teammates escaped safely. She hadn’t been able to prevent what happened in Siberia, which she had learned about after they defeated Thanos.

 

Due to her training, and her time with SHIELD, she had learned to assess her teammates. Steve was often very righteous, and though he had a good heart, and usually had good intentions, once he made a decision, it could be hard to sway him. Tony, on the other hand, appeared to be the opposite. He tended to wave off situations that involved emotions, and seemed distant. They were both stubborn, and it could take a lot to get them to admit their faults.

 

Even though she knew Tony was far from perfect, and would be one of the first to point it out, it had been Steve who had kept the secret of Howard and Maria’s death, and who had almost killed his teammate.

 

“I did,” Steve confirmed. “And in his own words, he did, too.”

 

“Good,” Natasha nodded. “You two need to learn to work with each other again. We work better together, whether we like it or not. With the losses we faced, we need to accept all the help we can. I think you should work with Peter on his strength. I’ve seen his potential. He might be stronger than you.”

 

“Stronger than Cap?” Clint looked incredulous. “Is that possible for someone who _isn’t_ Thor?”

 

“He’s not that much stronger,” Steve mumbled.

 

“Yeah, he is,” Clint argued. “And the Hulk is up there, too.”

 

_If I may interrupt,_ FRIDAY spoke. _I believe young Master Parker is indeed stronger than Captain Rogers. Master Stark has done a few tests._

 

Natasha raised an eyebrow, as if to say: _See?_

 

“He’s going to need help learning to use his strength safely. Percy is helping in the ways he can, but our demigod doesn’t have super strength. He can only do so much.”

 

“I’ve helped him a few time, but only with his form,” Steve admitted. “I think you’re right, Nat. I should help him. He’s one of us.”

 

* * *

Peter and Shuri lowered their weapons, most of the others following suit. Percy, however, kept Riptide raised. After everything he had been through, he was more wary of strangers, even though it seemed his friend knew the new arrival.

 

Rachel gently rested her hand on Percy’s shoulder, not flinching as he tensed, moving to point his sword at her. She was used to it, having been at the demigod’s side for the past four years.

 

“Sorry,” he murmured as he lowered his sword, hand shaking slightly. He squeezed Rachel’s hand, before turning back towards the group.

 

“Ah, young Peter!” Thor greeted the youngest teen. “It’s been a while since I last saw you. How have you been?”

 

“Good!” Peter was bouncing up and down on his feet. “These are some of my friends. That’s Katie, Jake, Will, Rachel and Percy.”

 

Thor turned to look at the demigods, tilting his head as he looked up and down. He seemed to find what he was looking for, as he nodded his head. “You are half-bloods, aren’t you?”

 

Peter had to give Katie credit. The daughter of Demeter simply raised an eyebrow, seemingly unintimidated by the Asgardian.

 

“What’s it to you?”

 

“I like her,” Thor pointed at Katie. “I know you are of godly blood. But not my kind.”

 

“So you _are_ Thor,” Percy slipped Riptide back in his pocket. “You know, my girlfriend’s cousin is Norse. He said he met you. But you don’t look anything like Magnus told me.”

 

“Just like your gods, we can have different forms,” Thor shrugged.

 

“So you know who we are, huh?” Rachel asked.

 

“I have a sense. I did not when I first sensed you. I was looking for someone, and when I noticed there was a disturbance with the water, I decided to see what was going on.”

 

“Yeah, that was me,” Percy looked sheepish.

 

“A son of Neptune? Or of Poseidon?”

 

“I’m Greek,” Percy shrugged. “We all are. Well, those of us who are demigods.”

 

“Demeter,” Katie offered up.

 

“Apollo,” Will waved.

 

“Hephaestus,” Jake grinned.

 

“Not a demigod, but still part of this world. I’m the Oracle,” Rachel responded as she tied her hair up.

 

“Ah, so you are the ones,” Thor nodded his head, as if a hunch he had had been confirmed. “You are the savior I have heard much about throughout the Nine Realms.” His gaze was fixated on Percy. “A son of the sea who has defied all odds. The child who would save the world with a single choice, who would suffer greatly, but never waver from a path of kindness.”

 

Percy shook his head. “I may have made a choice, but I was not the hero of the prophecy. That was all Luke.” The son of Poseidon was always adamant that the former counselor of cabin eleven had been the real hero.

 

“The fallen son of Hermes,” Thor nodded, eyes shifting to look at something behind the group. “I have heard about him as well. You are correct. He was a hero.”

 

“Anyway,” Percy fidgeted with the beads on his camp necklace. He didn’t want to talk about someone that had died. “You said you were looking for someone?”

 

“Ah, yes. It’s unimportant as to who,” Thor shrugged as he sat down. “Since I’m here in New York, I may stop by and visit everyone,” he aimed his comment at Peter. “Who is at the compound?”

 

“Mr. Stark, Natasha, Clint, Steve, Bucky, T’Challa, Bruce and Rhodes.”

 

“Excellent! I think I will accompany you back to the compound.”

 

“We weren’t planning on going back for a few hours. We wanted to show Shuri around,” Peter explained. “But you can come, too, if you want! Right, guys?”

 

The others nodded their heads. Everyone except Shuri was curious about the Norse god. They knew the Greeks and Romans weren’t the only active gods, and wanted to learn more. They had all heard about Magnus from Annabeth, after she had returned from visiting him in Boston.

 

However, though Shuri was used to the knowledge of Asgardians, now she knew that Greeks and Romans were also alive and flourishing, the other teens with the connected to the pantheons. She wanted to ask more questions, but figured it wasn’t the time. She would make sure to ask Percy when they got back to the compound.

 

“Where are you planning on going?” Thor asked.

 

Percy exchanged a look with Katie, before grinning. “Well…”

 

* * *

Tony’s gaze drifted over Pepper’s sleeping face, taking in every little detail.

 

She had fallen asleep twenty minutes ago, curled up to him, head resting on his chest. Their hands were intertwined, and Tony took the opportunity to run his fingers across the engagement ring. 

 

He couldn’t believe that after everything they had been through, all the years he resigned himself to being alone, he had found someone like Pepper Potts.

 

Tony had found his own little family, patched together through the losses they had all suffered from. Pepper, Peter, and Rhodes were his three special people. The love of his life, the boy he saw as a son (though he would never admit it), and his best friend, and brother, through everything but blood.

 

May had been added, and Happy and Bruce were part of Tony’s inner circle. And slowly, but surely, MJ and Percy were making a spot for themselves in his life.

 

The other heroes were still unlabeled. They had almost been family once, something Tony would never admit he desperately wanted. But then the civil war had happened, and they were just now learning to get along with each other again off the field. They weren’t family, but they weren’t just teammates.

 

Tony was still slightly on edge around Steve and Bucky, nightmares of Siberia haunting him occasionally. He was working on it, was now able to have conversations with them. But there was still work to be done.

 

T’Challa was a good ally, and while they weren’t close, the kids were. It was something they had in common, and gave them something to bond over.

 

Thor wasn’t around much, but the Asgardian got along with all of them most of the time.

 

Clint was back to his usual shenanigans, like climbing in the air vents and playing pranks. Tony and Clint would pick on each other often, but despite the jabs, trusted each other on the field. And now that Tony had Peter in his life, he understood the archer, and his choices, better.

 

Nat was a wild card. She had turned on him, but Tony understood why. She made a call, and stuck with it. She analyzed the situation, knew they would need to work together again, and made sure they were all alive to do so.

 

Tony closed his eyes, willing himself to stop thinking about how complicated things were with his team. They were working on it: that’s what mattered.

 

However, he was with Pepper right now, both of them agreeing to spend time together before joining the others for movie night. The kids and dogs were out, so it was quieter than usual, giving them a chance to relax.

 

Tony pressed a kiss to Pepper’s forehead, pulling her closer before allowing sleep to overtake him. There was still a little over an hour before they had to be anywhere, and he had spent the previous night in the lab until early morning with Bruce. It would do him some good to get sleep, even an hour.

 

* * *

Will had known they would run into at least one monster. After all, there were four demigods together, outside of camp, one being a child of the Big Three. It was inevitable. However, due to their skills, it took them five minutes to get rid of the three empousai that had found them.

 

They were on their way again, this time the demigods with flushed cheeks and slightly messed up hair.

 

With the help of their powers, and Thor’s, they were able to visit some of the best sights in New York.

 

They stopped at the Statue of Liberty, Coney Island, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Empire State building.

 

Percy hadn’t realized how much Annabeth rubbed off on him until he started spouting facts about the Statue of Liberty, giving a more detailed history than the normal tour would.

 

Rachel teased him about it, but it was good-naturedly. And Percy got back at her when she started geeking out at the art museum.

 

Their last stop was the Empire State building.

 

The dogs were curious, and sniffed at everything, finding their new surroundings fascinating.

 

Thor had a knowing look on his face as they made their way up the tower, the receptionist having recognized the demigods from the Battle of Manhattan. Obviously, the hadn’t been able to got to Olympus, as they had two mortals, and a god of a different pantheon with them. However, with the strong presence of the demigods and the Oracle, the 600th floor button had become visible.

 

Peter looked at it in awe. “What’s Olympus like?”

 

“You take this one, Jackson,” Jake held up his hands in front of him. “You know better than the rest of us, having actually been there in the presence of the council. More than once. And your girlfriend is the architect.”

 

Percy’s cheeks flushed. He was one of the few demigods who had been on Olympus more than once, Thalia being one of the others. They were seen as great heroes, but even now, the praise sometimes made Percy uncomfortable. To him, all of them were heroes. He couldn’t have helped saved the world without his friends.

 

“Annabeth helped design and rebuild Olympus after the battle. You should see her designs,” Percy’s eyes lit up, like they did whenever he talked about his girlfriend. “They’re amazing! There are statues of the gods all over, and a beautiful gardens, filled with flowers and ponds. The throne room is even more grand, and the thrones are really cool. They’re all unique to each god.”

 

“I wish I could see it,” Peter responded wistfully as he looked out the window. “It sounds amazing.”

 

“I think you’d like it. I can get Annabeth to send you some of her blueprints, if you want.”

 

“I’d like that,” Peter smiled.

 

“Can I get a copy, too?” Shuri asked. “It seems your girlfriend is very smart, and I’d like to see what she can do.”

 

“You can meet her when you come back in October,” Percy grinned. “I think you two will get along very well.”

 

“And MJ,” Peter added.

 

“What about Reyna?” Katie asked.

 

“All of the above,” Will agreed.

 

“I hate to break this up,” Jake started as he glanced at his phone. “But we told Chiron we’d be back no later than six, and that’s in forty-five minutes.”

 

“We should do this again sometime soon,” Peter piped up. “It was fun!”

 

The teens grabbed Thor from where he was reading about the building, muttering about something to himself as he did, before taking the elevator back to the lobby.

 

The demigods waved at the receptionist, before they left.

 

“Can you guys get back on time?” Shuri asked.

 

“We’ll be fine,” Katie promised. “We have a ride. Should be here in five minutes.”

 

“Would you like us to wait with you?” Thor asked. 

 

“Nah, we’re good,” Katie smiled as she looked up at the sky. “I see them.”

 

Peter’s eyes widened as he spotted the four pegasi gliding through the sky.

 

“That’s us,” Rachel grinned. “Thanks for calling them, Percy. It’ll make the trip back to camp much faster.”

 

“Of course,” Percy hugged his friends as the four winged horses landed in a nearby alley. They would wait for their riders, who would be hidden by the mist, as Thalia had taught Katie some tricks last time she was at camp.

 

Thor, Shuri, Peter and Percy waved as their friends disappeared, only turning to head back to the compound when they couldn’t see them anymore. They began walking, Andi and Lola at their sides.

 

“Time to head back,” Peter sighed. He perked up a minute later. “I can’t wait to see everyone’s faces when we bring back Thor! Oh!” he turned towards the Asgardian. “Do you think you could contact the Guardians? See, Shuri and I have this theory…”

 

* * *

Blue eyes opened, squinting against the bright light shining down.

 

The blond sat up, groaning from sleeping on the floor. Noting no one else was around, the blond grabbed the bag that was sitting on a chair a few feet away, and the sword that was hanging on the wall.

 

Knowing this was likely his only chance to escape, he hoped for the best, and hurried out of the camp. He had a destination in mind, but it would take him a few days. He didn’t have much in the form of possessions, or money, but he would make do.

 

It wouldn’t be his first time on the run.

 

He jogged into the woods, hoping no one was following.

 

He was free.

 

* * *

Bucky and Natasha were talking to each other in Russian as they waited for the rest of the group to show up. They could hear T’Challa and Rhodes’s voices coming from down the hallway, and FRIDAY had informed them that Steve, Bruce, and Clint were also on their way.

 

The elevator opened, revealing Tony and Pepper, both who were dressed more casually than they had been earlier in the day. They looked content as they walked close to each other, claiming a love-seat for themselves.

 

Natasha looked up as Pepper sat down, greeting the other woman. “I’m glad you could join us tonight.”

 

“Me too,” Pepper smiled softly. “What movie are we watching today?”

 

“It’s Bruce’s choice,” Natasha shrugged. “We can ask him when he gets here.”

 

“When are the kids going to be back?” Rhodes asked as he and T’Challa entered the room.

 

Tony pulled out his phone, glancing at the screen. “Pete says they’re on their way back now. And… they have a guest. They should be here any minute.”

 

“Any hint as to who?” Bucky asked.

 

“No clue,” Tony shook his head. “We’ll find out soon enough, I guess.”

 

Five minutes later, and all the heroes were in the common room, waiting for Peter, Percy, Shuri, and their guest to arrive.

 

The elevator dinged three minutes later, signifying their arrival.

 

“We’re back!” Peter called into the room as the doors opened.

 

The team turned to look at the teens and the two dogs who were coming out of the elevator.

 

“And we brought Thor!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a new plot starting up! You'll see more of it in the next chapter.
> 
> Sorry for the late update. I'm back at school, and have been for almost three weeks, even though we've only had a week and half or so of actual classes. I'm going to try and update as often as possible, but it will be an irregular schedule.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	7. Heart to Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy lays everything out to the heroes, telling them everything he had been through as a demigod. Natasha, Shuri and Peter help him heal in their own ways.
> 
> Just when every thing seems to be falling into place, an old face makes a reappearance.

“Great, now we need double the food,” Tony muttered under his breath. They already had to feed two super soldiers, a teenager with enhanced metabolism, and a demigod with a bottomless stomach. Now they had to add an Asgardian to the mix. But it was still nice to see his teammate, so he turned towards Thor, smiling. “It’s nice to see you again, Point Break.”

 

“Where did the kids find you?” Natasha asked.

 

“Actually, I found them. They were with their friends, showing off their powers.”

 

“So I’m guessing you know who Percy is, then,” Tony inferred. “And you must, too,” he looked at Shuri.

 

She nodded, before glancing over at her brother, grinning. “Looks like you’re the only one who doesn’t know, brother.”

 

“Just like always,” T’Challa scoffed good-naturedly. “Does any one want to fill me in, or am I going to be kept in the dark?”

 

“I think you should be kept in the dark,” Shuri responded, eyes sparkling with mischief. “But I guess it’s up to Percy.”

 

Everyone turned to look at the demigod. Percy looked up from his phone, as he had been sending a message to his mom. He stared back at the others, blinking slowly. Sighing, he put his phone back in his pocket. “Yeah, I’ll tell him. I mean, everyone else knows by now.”

 

“How about you start after we get food?” Natasha suggested. “There’s a lot to your story.”

 

The demigod agreed, and Tony had FRIDAY put in their usual pizza order, adjusting for the addition of Thor.

 

Forty-five minutes later, they had twenty-five pizzas delivered. After everyone was settled in, with either a plate of pizza, or a box, Percy began.

 

He started with his first quest, explaining how he went into it with no training. He went through each quest, growing quiet and sad when he reached the deaths of his friends. But he continued, describing his friends, their powers, and how Luke came to oppose the gods. It was already late when Percy got to the Battle of Manhattan, about the Great Prophecy, and how though Percy made the decision, it was Luke who was the hero.

 

He kept going, explaining how he woke up a few months after the Battle of Manhattan in California, with no memory. He explained the Wolf House, and making his way to Camp Jupiter, how it was different from Camp Half-Blood. His quest, with Hazel and Frank, returning to camp with the Eagle. Reuniting with Annabeth, meeting Piper, Leo, Jason, and Coach Hedge, before embarking on a new quest, another prophecy. That the seven of them, seven teenagers, had the huge weight of the fate of the world on their shoulders, again, for some of them. How two groups of teenagers, Greek and Roman, who were never supposed to meet, had to band together to defeat the greatest enemy had ever faced. How he and Annabeth had fallen into Tartarus, which had left scars that would never heal.

 

Percy was exhausted when he finished, especially emotionally. He hadn’t realized how much had happened in the past five years, how much he and his friends had faced, how much they had seen that would make most run away, or give up.

 

The heroes, except for Peter, hadn’t known everything. He had told them the big parts of his past, of the things that he had come to accept. But laying everything out, in front of people he trusted, but could never understand, was something new.

 

The air was heavy. The heroes couldn’t imagine going through everything that Percy had, and still be able to smile and laugh. They knew the demigod had hard days, Tony more than the rest, as Percy had stayed at the compound a few times, and Peter had left in the middle of the night to go into Manhattan to comfort his friend.

 

Percy would stare wistfully up at the stars, finding his friend who was forever a constellation, would whisper “Bob says hello.” On his birthday the year previous. according to stories Peter had heard from Annabeth and Rachel, Percy would go down to the lake, and sit in silence. He would honor those who had laid down their lives to save the world, those who died in the Battle of Manhattan, and those who died before and after. His birthday was tinged with sadness and loss, but come evening, he would smile as he spent time with his friends. It was something they were going to watch for the upcoming Thursday, the demigod’s eighteenth birthday.

 

Now, Percy was looking down at his hands, Peter resting his head on his friend’s shoulder. Next to them was Shuri, staring at the floor, completely silent.

 

“Well,” Percy broke the silence he created. “There’s my story.”

 

“Thanks for trusting us with all of that,” Steve smiled sincerely. He glanced out the window, noting it was dark. 

 

“I think it’s bed time,” Tony interjected before anyone else could speak up. He knew that Percy was the type of person who didn’t want the sympathy, and if he wanted to talk about it, it would be with the people he trusted most. Though he trusted all the heroes, its as clear he trusted Peter more than everyone else in the room. Tony trusted the younger teen to be there if Percy wanted to talk.

 

The other heroes agreed, and they gathered up the empty boxes and plates. In ten minutes, everything was cleared up, and everyone was headed off to bed.

 

At almost two in the morning, Percy fell asleep.

 

* * *

The next morning, Percy walked into the training room at ten, having not been able to get much sleep. He was antsy, and wanted to get his excess energy out. 

 

Natasha was there, and when she spotted him, she waved him over. “We never got to spar yesterday.”

 

Percy was thankful she didn’t try and talk to him about what he had spilled the night before. She knew that fighting would be better for him, and was willing to go up against him. 

 

They didn’t talk, but with a quick glance at a nearby camera, FRIDAY put on music.

 

Natasha was quick and deadly, her years of training kicking in. She would always have more years on him, more experience, but Percy had a different style that she didn’t always expect. He was used to fighting with a sword in his hand, but since meeting the Avengers, had gotten better at hand-to-hand combat. He mostly trained with Natasha, as she wasn’t afraid to go all out on him.

 

They didn’t hold back.

 

Percy felt a weight lift off his shoulders as he fought, no sword or powers. He felt as close to mortal as he had in a long time. There were no demigod responsibilities pressing on him.

 

He was always good at analyzing battles, and his opponent strategies. He knew he wasn’t the smartest book wise, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t intelligent.

 

Natasha kicked, and Percy threw punches. They both managed to land some good blows, and knock each other down.

 

They fought with determination, not noticing the crowd they were attracting. The others liked watching the two fight, knowing that both of them had endurance that only the other seemed able to match. Even Steve, a super soldier, sometimes couldn’t last that long with Natasha.

 

Percy picked his style up from watching his friends, and from adjusting his sword fighting technique to work without Riptide. Most of his moves were picked up from Annabeth, Reyna and Clarisse, the three daughters of war and wisdom being the most proficient in hand to hand combat.

 

Natasha held out her hand to help him up after she knocked him down again.

 

He let her pull him up, smiling in thanks. She handed him a water bottle, which he drank half of, pouring the other half over his head, re-energizing him.

 

“You’re getting better,” Natasha nodded her head approvingly. “You still need some work, but you’re obviously more comfortable with fighting without your sword or powers.”

 

“I learn from the best,” Percy raised an eyebrow as he flexed his arm, wincing at the sharp burst of pain. He hadn’t worked this hard in a while, and he thought he might’ve pulled a muscle. 

 

“Annabeth and Reyna, right?” Peter called out, a grin on his face.

 

“They would’ve made good SHIELD agents,” Natasha comments.

 

“You haven’t met Reyna yet,” Clint called out from his spot a few feet away, where he was munching on popcorn. “And you only met Annabeth once, like, last week for five minutes when Percy stopped by because he forgot his phone charger.”

 

“So?” Natasha shrugged as she made her way over to him. “I know enough. The girls are tough, and they're smart.”

 

Peter nodded his assent. He didn’t know Annabeth personally as well as he knew Reyna, but he had heard plenty of stories. They were two of the best fighters, and that’s why they were one of the leaders of the Greek and Roman camps respectively.

 

“I’ll tell them you said that,” Percy promised. “And when they come visit over fall break, I’ll make sure you meet them.” 

 

“I’m looking forward to it,” Natasha responded, ruffling Percy’s hair as she stood up. “Now, I think it’s time for a shower and lunch.”

 

* * *

Percy felt more refreshed after taking a shower. After plugging his phone into charge, he sent off a few messages to his friends. They had been asking what he was doing for his birthday the following week, and what he wanted.

 

He didn’t need anything, except getting to spend time with those he cared about. Percy had learned the importance of quality time with friends and family, knew how quickly they could be taken away. So on the morning of his birthday, he would be with his family. His mom was making breakfast, and a blue cake, like he had every year. Then, the Jackson-Blofis family would head over to the compound, where the Avengers were throwing a small party for their favorite demigod. Peter’s aunt would also be there.

 

It would be the first time Paul and Estelle would be meeting everyone, and Sally’s first time meeting most. She had met Tony and Pepper, but that was it.

 

Percy would then be spending the evening with his friends at Camp Half-Blood, where they would visit the monument Annabeth and Malcolm had designed for all those who had fallen during the Battle of Manhattan two years ago, engraved with all their names. No matter which side they had been on, the demigods had been too young to die.

 

After visiting the monument, they were going to go to Percy’s cabin, and spend time together.

 

Percy had never had this many people he cared about, the earliest birthdays he remembered spent only with his mom. Now, he had a family, had friends, and _superheroes_ who cared about him, and wanted him to stay safe.

 

Twelve-year-old Percy would never believe where he’d be now. That Percy had been lonely, and scared, and angry at the world. He only had his mom to count on, and didn’t understand why life was unfair, why his mom was stuck with Smelly Gabe. Things had changed when he found out he was a demigod, but sometimes, Percy still felt that way. So many people looked up to him as this great hero, not a teenager who never really got to be a kid, who felt loss and guilt strongly. 

 

But he was finally accepting everything that led him to this point, knew that though the losses he felt were hard, and would never fade, that they had brought him to where he was now. In a place where he had friends, and family, and never took anything for granted. He hadn’t been rich, and still wasn’t. It made him uncomfortable sometimes, when people offered to buy him things.

 

Percy didn’t care about the material world. He cared about people.

 

* * *

Shuri and Peter made their way to Percy’s room, carrying movies and snacks.

 

It was three in the afternoon, and they wanted to check in on their friend. They hadn’t really talked to him since last night, save for a few words exchanged at lunch. They wanted to make sure he was okay.

 

Peter knocked on the door, opening it when Percy told them to come in. They found the demigod laying on his bed, flipping through a book that Annabeth had promised him he would enjoy.

 

“Hey guys,” Percy smiled. “Make yourself at home.”

 

Peter set the snacks down on the table near Percy’s bed, before claiming one of the chairs for himself, Shuri sitting down in the other.

 

“You doing okay?” Peter asked. “You talked a lot last night.”

 

“I knew you had been through a lot. It is easy to tell. But I couldn’t imagine what. You are a fighter,” Shuri added on.

 

“I’m a survivor,” Percy corrected. “We’re all survivors. We fight because it’s the only way to stay alive for us. We never asked for any of it, but because our parents are gods, we have to deal with it. Trust me, if we could all live a normal life, we would. Yeah, powers are cools, and training and camp are fun. And I love my friends. But if we could erase the loss and the pain, we would.”

 

“I want to help with that,” Shuri pulled up the schematics of the gauntlets she was working on for the demigod. “I’m starting with gauntlets, thin and light enough that you will barely notice them. They will enhance your powers, and enable you to use them longer before you start to tire. Then, I’ll start on the next prototype.”

 

“You don't have to—”

 

“I want to,” Shuri cut him off. “This is a new challenge for me to tackle, and you’re not so bad.”

 

“You’re not so bad yourself,” Percy grinned back. “Now, are we going to watch a movie, or not?”

 

Peter grinned as he held up the movies he brought. “Time for a movie marathon.”

 

* * *

The blond trudged through the rain, walking along the side of the street.

 

He had been on the run for two days, and was almost to his destination. Though he had a city he wanted to go to, he had no idea what he would do once there. He didn’t know who he could trust, who he wanted to know he was back.

 

A few names came to mind, but he pushed most of them away. They were people who had cared about him once, but he hoped they had moved on.

 

There was only a handful amount of people who really knew what had happened on his last day, who probably would give him the benefit of the doubt. Others might hesitate, but he couldn’t risk it.

 

He had to be careful.

 

* * *

Percy laughed as he watched Peter slowly wobble across the blacktop on his skateboard.

 

It was Peter’s first time on one, and since Percy had experience, he had offered to teach his friend. They were at the skatepark, and after Percy showed off a little, they retreated to a flat stretch of ground.

 

“How are you so good at this?” Peter looked baffled as he came to a stop.

 

“Practice,” Percy responded, grinning. “I’ve been doing this for about six years? You’ll get there.”

 

He grabbed the skateboard he had gotten as a gift a couple days ago for his birthday, decorated with a replica of his Camp Jupiter tattoo, and mini replicas of the designs on his Camp Half-Blood beads. It had been a gift from Peter and Shuri. Shuri had designed it, infusing vibranium into it to make it unbreakable. The sleek design also allowed Percy to go faster.

 

Peter had chosen the stickers, and applied a permanent protective coat over them, so they would never fade.

 

It was Percy’s favorite gift.

 

* * *

He had been settled in a small hotel room for the past three days, paid for with money he had stolen out of unsuspecting businessmen’s wallets.

 

He didn’t have much, only three sets of clothes that he had washed in the sink. 

 

He spent most of his time wandering the city, hoping to run into someone he knew, but also dreading it. He had no idea who would listen to him, who would try and turn him in. He had done things he wasn’t proud of in the past.

 

On his sixth day living in a hotel, he ventured further. He was wary, ducking into doorway when he spotted a face that even vaguely looked like someone he didn’t want to see.

 

He was tired, tired of being on the run, looking over his shoulders in case someone was looking for him.

 

Knowing there was a small cafe a block ahead, he started making his way there, trying to loosen the tension in his shoulders.

 

Shaking it off when he saw someone that looked familiar (one of the only people he wouldn't hate to run into, someone he may have subconsciously wanted to find him), he walked in, getting in line to order.

 

The door opened, and he turned to see who was coming in.

 

* * *

 

After an hour of trying to teach Peter how to skateboard, they decided it was about time to get lunch. 

 

Percy carried the skateboard as they made their way down the busy streets of New York. Peter had decided he wanted to go back to _Cooper’s_ , since he liked the environment, the food, and they got discounts, courtesy of Percy being friends with Antonia.

 

As they walked, Peter started talking about what he was and wasn’t looking forward to about the upcoming school year. He’d be a senior in high school, which meant college visits.

 

Percy came to a halt, ignoring other pedestrians as they nearly crashed into him, swearing as they glared at him.

 

“Percy?” Peter asked. “What’s wrong?”

 

The young superhero glanced around, trying to see if there were any monsters nearby.

 

“I thought I—” Percy mumbled as he turned down the street. He picked up the pace, Peter following behind him. “I swear I saw him.”

 

“Who?” Peter asked, slightly worried.

 

“Him,” Percy stopped in front of a cafe window, staring at the guy standing in front of the counter. “Luke Castellan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I glossed over Percy's eighteenth birthday, save for mentioning the skateboard. That wasn't what I needed in this chapter, but I AM going to write it. It will be a one-shot, and will be up as soon as I have time to write it.
> 
> That being said, I hope you're looking forward to this new plot-line I'm adding in. I have a lot of ideas for Luke, so I hope you stick with me!
> 
>  
> 
> (Also, I know there hasn't been a ton of angst, save for re-living Percy's past, but there will be more. Just in case you like reading that kind of stuff.)


	8. Another Broken White Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Percy talk, and the superheroes bond.

Peter noticed the way both Percy and Luke’s shoulders tensed as the door opened, bell ringing to alert the staff to a new customer.

 

The blond turned around, hand inching towards the band around his other wrist. As he turned, his eyes widened in surprise.

 

Percy’s hand went to his pocket, ready to draw his sword, and Peter covertly slipped on a web shooter. He didn’t know how the interaction would go, didn’t know how Luke was back. He wanted to be prepared.

 

Though Luke had chosen good at the end, died for Camp Half-Blood, there was a complicated history between the two demigods that stemmed back to about six years.

 

“Luke,” Percy stated in a voice Peter would’ve mistaken as confident if he didn’t know his friend so well.

 

“Percy,” Luke raised an eyebrow, hand not leaving his wrist.

 

“How?” was all Percy was able to ask, holding his pen in his hand. Luke and Peter were the only two who understood the warning.

 

“Who’s this?” Luke asked a question instead of answering, gesturing at Peter. “New recruit?”

 

“Not quite,” Percy shook his head. Glancing at a table in the corner of the cafe, he nodded his head at it. “Care to explain how you’re here?”

 

Luke sighed heavily as he turned around to grab his drink from the barista. He thought he would have more time to figure out what to say. After the Battle of Manhattan, Luke had come to be at peace with the idea of being dead. And then he was pulled out through the Doors of Death when they were opened, in hopes of being a warrior.

 

“Yeah, sure.”

 

* * *

Pepper rolled her eyes fondly as she watched her fiancee and Clint argue about whether or not Tony should make the archer an arrow that, when shot from a far enough distance, could knock out a block while playing Jenga that wouldn’t knock the tower over.

 

It had been a while since there had been light-hearted banter between the heroes, and Pepper had missed it. When the team argued about silly things, it could get intense, but in the end, they were still a team. It was just how they got along. 

 

It was times like this, even after everything that had happened, everyone they had lost, that it seemed like the old days.

 

Pepper made herself known as she walked into the kitchen to grab a mug of coffee. She greeted Clint, and pressed a kiss to Tony’s cheek. “I think it would be an interesting challenge for you,” she imputed her view on the discussion. She knew how much the man liked to invent, and liked to encourage him, especially since he couldn’t get major injuries from making Clint an arrow.

 

“See?” Clint exclaimed, beaming at Pepper. “Even Pepper thinks it would be cool!”

 

“I said it would be an interesting challenge,” she corrected as she grabbed an apple, sitting down with them.

 

“What does Clint want now?” Natasha’s voice rang through the room as she walked in. She paused in front of her partner, raising an eyebrow, arms crossed.

 

Clint didn’t bat an eye, one of the only ones usually not intimated by the ex-assassin. They had been through a lot together, and he got to see more of who she _is_ , not who she portrayed herself as. They had a lot of inside stories, and could have an entire conversation with looks, raised eyebrows and wide eyes.

 

“He wants an arrow to help him win at Jenga,” Tony rolled his eyes. “Pep thinks it would be an interesting challenge to make, and Bird Brain here just wants to win the game.”

 

Natasha nodded, as if he had confirmed a theory she had. “He’s been wanting one for awhile. That’s what house arrest does to him.”

 

“C’mon, Tony,” Clint pleaded. “It could also be used when, uh,” the archer tried to think of other uses for the arrow. “In a battle, when I need to hit a very particular target with enough force. But not with the intent of taking someone out.”

 

“Is that the best you can come up with?” Tony looked over at his teammate. “But fine, whatever. Pepper is right. It will be interesting to design an arrow like that. But—” he raised his hand, cutting off what Clint was about to say. “No cheating at Jenga, unless it’s against our good old Captain. Got it?”

 

“Got it!” Clint exclaimed, looking excited. “Steve will have no idea what hit him.”

 

“I’ll have no idea about what?” Steve walked in, combing his fingers through his still damp hair. He had come up to the kitchen after taking a shower, hungry from his early morning workout.

 

“Nothing,” Natasha replied smoothly as she handed the super soldier a plate of food. Since it wasn’t something life threatening, she felt no need to tell Steve what they were talking about. Before the Civil War, they would often try and confuse each other, often Steve, using things Tony made for them. It was how they showed they cared, since none of them were very good at expressing affection through words.

 

The fact that they were slipping back into their old dynamics made the corner of Natasha’s mouth curl upwards.

 

Things were getting better.

 

* * *

“I was brought through the Doors of Death. They hoped I would help them. After all, I opposed the gods once before,” the son of Hermes muttered. “They kept me prisoner, tried to get me to fight for them, but I refused. I just wanted peace for once. I’m tired of war.”

 

“We all are,” Percy agreed softly. “But who is ‘they?’”

 

“I’m not completely sure,” Luke shrugged. “I only ever saw one of their faces, and I didn’t recognize them. But it was mostly monsters, watching over me, eyeing me. I managed to escape, but it almost felt too easy. I’m worried they can track me down.”

 

“Then go back to camp,” Percy suggested. “You’d be safe from the monsters there.”

 

“No,” Luke’s eyes darkened. “I don’t want to go back. Just because I realized how awful Kronos was, doesn’t mean I can forgive the gods. I didn’t die for them. I died for everyone else who felt like me.”

 

“I honored your promise, Luke. Annabeth designed the cabins. We keep adding more.”

 

Some of the tension left Luke’s shoulder. “But things aren’t great, are they?”

 

“You missed a lot,” Percy shrugged. “Maybe you heard about it, maybe you didn’t.”

 

“Gaea?”

 

“Tartarus.”

 

Luke nearly choked on the coffee he had just sipped from. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

 

“Tartarus. Nico first, but you don’t really know about him, do you?”

 

Luke shook his head.

 

“Son of Hades. His sister died shortly after joining the Hunters during the quest after Thalia came back. Has a Roman half sister who died and came back.”

 

“Romans, too?”

 

“Guess they didn’t tell you much, huh?” Percy laughed dryly. “But yeah, Roman gods and demigods. They’re cool for the most part. But anyways. Tartarus. Nico was there first, alone. And then not too much later, Annabeth and me.”

 

Luke frowned, the expression deepening when he remembered the flying shoes he had given to Percy when the younger demigod was only twelve that was supposed to drag him down into the pit.

 

“We survived,” Percy shrugged. “I mean, things were awful, but I am so not getting into that right now.”

 

“So the gods haven’t changed much, huh?”

 

“Some of them are doing fine. My dad’s around often enough, Hades looks out for Nico, and ignored the fact that Hazel broke the rules when she came back to life. They do what they can. Then there’s Apollo,” Percy snorted. “He’s currently a mortal. Pissed off Zeus, and now he gets to find out how we live.”

 

Luke laughed at that, looking the most at ease that Percy could remember, except for maybe the last few seconds before he died, when the fight drained out of him, but knowing Thalia and Annabeth and Grover were safe. 

 

Percy smiled, but it dropped shortly after as a crease formed between his eyebrows. “How did you get here? Did you plan to run into someone you know? Do you have somewhere to stay?”

 

“Not my first time on the run,” Luke snorted. “That’s been my life for the most part. Yeah, I wanted to find someone who could understand the demigod world, but wouldn’t stab me on sight—”

 

“You’re a hero, Luke. We made sure you weren’t forgotten.”

 

“Thanks for that Percy, but I’m sure that not everyone agrees. Don’t want to risk it. Camp... it’s not my home anymore.”

 

“Do you don’t have anywhere to stay?”

 

Luke shrugged. “I’ll figure it out.”

 

“I can call Annabeth, or Thalia. We have phones now that—”

 

“No,” Luke cut Percy off, shaking his head vigorously. “I can’t— at least, not yet. After… after everything, I can’t see them right now. And I know it’ll be worse when they eventually find out, because I can’t expect this lie to last forever. But please, Percy.”

 

Percy sighed, fiddling with the beads on his necklace. “You want me to lie to them?”

 

“I know they’re your friends—”

 

“They’re more than that. Thals is family, a cousin, and her younger brother is a good friend. And Annabeth… she’s one of the most important people in my life.”

 

“Wait,” Luke held up a hand. “Thalia found Jason?”

 

“Well, technically _she_ didn’t find him, but yeah. He grew up at Camp Jupiter. He’s Roman, son of Jupiter.”

 

“Gods, that’s right,” Luke murmured to himself. “Romans are a thing.” Percy had mentioned so many things, that he hadn't wrapped his head around the existence of Romans yet. “I never thought that Jason…”

 

“There’s a lot you don't know,” Percy shrugged. “About the Romans, and how we work with them, how we get along. You may have been back, but you missed a lot.”

 

“Yeah, they did that on purpose,” the blond laughed bitterly. “And now that I know more, might be able to expose them, they’ll try to find me.”

 

“Even if you don’t want to go back to Camp Half-Blood, you need to get somewhere safe,” Percy insisted.

 

“There’s not many places that are safe for people like us.”

 

Percy knew it was true. There were the two camps, and the Waystation in Indianapolis that Leo had told a few people about.

 

“Come with us,” Peter blurted out, unwilling to stay silent anymore.

 

Luke started, having forgot the younger teen was there. 

 

“We have space.”

 

“We?” Luke raised an eyebrow.

 

“I mean,” Peter turned red, turning towards Percy for help.

 

“What Peter is trying to say, is if you don’t want to go to camp, or let anyone else from our world know you’re back, we know a safe place. They’re used to me and everything that comes with having a demigod around. Helps that Peter here is a clear sighted mortal. And the small fact that they’re all superheroes.”

 

“You know superheroes?” Luke asked disbelievingly. “What, like Iron Man? Captain America?”

 

“Uh, yeah,” Percy responded, totally serious as Peter nodded his head. “Well, actually, Peter knows them better, and I know them because of him but technicalities.”

 

“If you want to stay hidden from the gods, we know someone who can do that.”

 

At Peter’s words, Luke looked interested. “You mean, you know someone who can cloak me from them?”

 

* * *

Tony grinned as he watched Steve analyze the Jenga tower. 

 

The inventor had been able to make modifications to some of Clint’s old arrows to make one that wouldn’t be noticeable when it knocked a block out of the block tower. 

 

The archer was hiding in the air vents, ready to shoot an arrow to help Tony win, another ready to knock the tower over when Steve tried got pull out another block.

 

Steve was very careful as he managed to pull a block out without knocking over the tower, smiling as he placed it back on top.

 

Rhodey, Natasha, T’Challa and Bruce were watching carefully, waiting for Clint to intervene. Thor and Bucky, while watching what was going on, was rifling through the fridge for something to eat. Pepper, meanwhile, while in the same room, was working on Stark Industries work, glancing up every once in a while when someone made an interesting comment.

 

Tony analyzed the tower, fiddling with the small button on his watch that would send a signal to his teammate in the vents. When Steve moved to grab his glass of water on the table behind him, he pressed it, watching as a block in the middle was ejected from the tower, which remarkably didn't fall.

 

Natasha smirked, amused by the confused look on Steve’s face.

 

And when the tower toppled over on him two minutes later, the whole team laughed.

 

* * *

“She’s sixteen!” 

 

Percy rolled his eyes. “Okay, age has nothing to do with this. Did you ever doubt Annabeth, even when she was ten? Shuri is smart, she’s capable. I mean, she made these,” he pulled the glasses out of the case that was in his back pocket. “They counteract our dyslexia. Luke, I don’t have a problem reading anymore, not when I wear them.”

 

Luke spluttered. “It’s not… age doesn’t… It’s just… I know how smart people can be, how smart Annabeth was when she was seven. I’m not doubting Shuri’s capability. It’s just…”

 

“The fact that we’re the age you were when you were sent into a war? That while most of the heroes are adults, Shuri and I are just kids. But we’re fighting in wars, and have seen loss, and you don’t want us to feel like we have to help you?” Peter knew what the older demigod was thinking. It was how a lot of people felt when they found out about Peter and Shuri, whether they knew about Spider-Man or not. They were teenagers who were affected by the superhero world.

 

“Yeah,” Luke nodded. “You’re, what? Fifteen?”

 

“Seventeen,” Peter corrected. “But I’ve been exposed to the superhero world since I was fourteen.”

 

“Shuri has been exposed to it longer,” Percy interjected. “Because of her brother, and her country’s history. So no, you aren’t exposing her to something new. If anything, she’ll be excited by the challenge.”

 

Luke hesitated. He only knew Percy, had no idea how the superheroes would react, if they would know anything about him. He was tired of being thought of as a traitor, or as a warrior. But if he was cloaked from the gods, and monsters, maybe he could live normally for a little while.

 

“Let’s see if your friend is up for the challenge.”

 

 

* * *

“I just realized I never asked you if you were okay with this,” Peter looked sheepish. Getting Shuri to help was one thing, but bringing Luke back to the compound, which was like another home to both teens at this point, was something different. As well, until Shuri was able to complete a cloaking device, Peter had offered one of the guest rooms at the compound, knowing he could convince Mr. Stark to allow it.

 

He and Percy were outside the lab, where Shuri was. They were waiting for Luke, who had gone to the bathroom that was down the hallway.

 

“I don’t know if I can truly trust him. But he died for us, so I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. Why he doesn’t want Thalia or Annabeth to know, I can’t really say. I want to keep an eye on him. But this… has the potential to be better than the first time around.”

 

Peter nodded. Luke was being given a second chance, much like the Avengers. They had to potential to be better, while not forgetting what had happened.

 

“I hope it is.”

 

* * *

“How many broken white boys do they expect me to fix?” Shuri muttered under her breath. 

 

“Please, Shuri,” Peter pleaded. “This is important. I don’t know all the history involving Luke, but the fact that Percy didn’t stab him on sight makes me sure that Luke is good. Or he changed.”

 

“I never said I wasn’t going to fix him,” she turned towards her friend, rolling her eyes. “It will be easy enough now that I finally understand how all this works,” she glared at him, breaking into a smile a few moments later. “But I am trusting your judgment, and Percy’s judgement. If this goes wrong...”

 

“We’ll take full responsibility, I promise.”

 

“Good. Now, let’s go fix this undead son of Hermes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to post this chapter today in honor of both my cousin's wedding, and my birthday. I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> The Luke plot line will be the focus for a little while, but there will still be plenty of Percy & Peter & Shuri bonding moments, and the team (and Pepper) will continue to make appearances.
> 
> As always, if there's something you'd like to see in this story, series, or in general, feel free to let me know! You can leave a comment, or send me an ask over on my tumblr (username in bio), or DM me on insta (username in bio).
> 
> Until the next chapter!
> 
> (The thing about the arrow is based of a text post, in case you're wondering!)


	9. The Son of Hermes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke interacts with the heroes for the first time, and Rachel has a dream.

Natasha stared at Luke when the teens migrated from the lab to the common room. Most of the other heroes were deep in conversation, so they didn’t notice the new arrival, save for Tony, who just raised his eyebrow in question.

 

The teens opted to ignore the questioning looks, wanting to put off explaining as long as possible. Luke followed suit, not willing to trust the adults. He didn’t really trust Peter or Shuri yet either, and didn’t know where he stood with Percy, but they were helping him out.

 

The son of Hermes knew most of the heroes by sight, could tell that Black Widow was trying to analyze him. Luke subconsciously ran his fingers over the part of his scar that was near his eye. It was the most striking thing about him, and he always got questions about it. He hated it, hated that it was a permanent reminder of the failed quest he went on at age seventeen, of the anger he felt, and the pity he received.

 

Taking a deep breath, he made his way over to where the teens were, gathered by the window that overlooked the sprawling land. He placed himself between a nearby exit and Percy, ready to run if needed.

 

When a voice spoke next to him that he didn’t recognize, Luke’s hand immediately flew to his wrist, and the silver band that rested there.

 

“You’re Luke Castellan, son of Hermes, aren’t you?” Black Widow was standing next to him, looking him in the eyes. “Back from the dead.” She then turned to Percy. “Care to explain,νερό αγόρι?”

 

“Gaea’s forces brought him through the Doors of Death. They hoped he would help them fight us and the gods, but he didn’t,” Percy shrugged. “Shuri is going to try and cloak him from the gods and monsters. And Peter,” Percy glanced at his friend, “offered up a spare bedroom.”

 

Natasha turned her stare to Peter. “You haven't asked Tony yet.” It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.

 

“No,” Peter looked sheepish. “But I’m going to!”

 

“Good,” she turned around, ruffling Percy’s hair before rejoining the group of heroes who were looking curiously over at the group by the window.

 

Percy fake glared at her as she walked away, before fixing his hair. “Well, Nat took it well enough.”

 

“Nat?” Luke asked.

 

“Yeah, she’s, uh, been training me. To fight without relying on a weapon or powers. I guess she trusts and likes me enough to call her Nat. Most people call her Natasha.”

 

“You’re on nickname basis with Black Widow? And she’s training you? How’d you pull that off?”

 

“Like I said, it’s because of Peter. He’s the one more involved in their world. But that’s for him to say.”

 

Peter smiled proudly, but didn’t offer up any words. Despite the fact that he knew a lot about Luke, who had also been through war and loss, would understand being a powered teen, he wasn’t sure how much he could trust the son of Hermes. He was the son of the trickster god, and even though he had been a hero at the end, he had done some bad things. Tony was allowing Peter to tell a select few people, people that he trusted. So far, besides the heroes, there were only a few that knew. That listed consisted of Percy, Aunt May, Ned, and MJ.

 

Luke didn’t seem to mind, or seem surprised, when Peter stayed silent on the matter. If anything, he looked pleased, as if Peter being hesitant to trust was a good thing.

 

_And maybe it was_ , Peter thought.

 

* * *

“Peter, care to explain anything to me?” Tony asked as he rested his hand on the teen’s shoulder. The inventor looked around the room, eyes pausing on Luke.

 

“Uh, this is Luke?” Peter started nervously. “Y’know, the one who’s the son of Hermes? From Percy’s stories?”

 

Tony’s grip tightened slightly as he moved forward, as if to shield Peter. “So you’re Luke. We’ve heard about you.” Tony didn’t know how to handle the fact that someone who had died two years ago was suddenly back, especially since said person didn’t have a good track record for siding with the good guys. He was protective of all the kids who resided in the compound (Peter, Percy, MJ even though she hadn’t stayed over in a while, and Shuri). However, he was most protective over Peter, and though he knew the teen could handle himself in a fight, the protective urge was strong.

 

He had never wanted kids, never wanted to put his life onto someone else. He had done many things he wasn't proud of, and was working on trying to make things better. But then Peter had come into his life, and now, after everything they had been through, Tony had started seeing Peter as _his son_. Tony would never say anything, didn’t want Peter to think he was trying to replace Uncle Ben, didn’t want the Avengers enemies to use the teen as leverage. And he didn’t know how Peter felt.

 

Luke didn’t appear fazed, simply raising an eyebrow. “And I know about you. You’re, ah, _ventures_ before you became Iron-Man. I’m old enough to remember those clearly, even though I was living on the streets.” Luke had no qualms about taking the heroes down a peg. Sometimes they reminded him of the gods, who held themselves in too high a regard. Also, Luke knew that if Percy had told them about him, the other demigod would not have glossed over the siding-with-Kronos years. They would be wary of him, knowing what he had done. But they weren’t innocent, either, and Luke didn’t mind reminding them. If they were going to remind him what he did, how many lives had been lost because of Luke, he would remind them. It wasn’t _truly_ fair, the son of Hermes knew that. He knew that they held guilt about people they couldn’t save, even if they didn’t show it often. The guilt he cared nowadays, after realizing that though the gods weren’t the best, there was a better way to change things. He knew how many people had died, how many people had suffered. And in a way, he felt like what he did was worse. Sure, the Avengers hadn’t been able to save everyone, and sometimes destroyed a lot of property, and Tony Stark had once run a weapons empire, but Luke’s actions… Children were the ones who suffered, who died. Luke had wanted things to be better for the demigods, but the war that had happened had caused too many to die, and those who survived were left with trauma and grief.

 

“Luke,” Percy warned. He knew Luke better than anyone else in the building, and knew that Luke liked provoking people. However, they were in a room full of other powered and/or skilled people, who would match the demigod word for word.

 

“He’s right,” Natasha raised an eyebrow. “He’s not the only one who’s made bad decisions. We all have. It’ll do us good to remember, to keep in mind that while we fight for the safety of this world, we harm it, too.”

 

Tony sent a glare over at her, annoyed that she was right. However, just because she was right, didn’t mean he had to like it. Luke’s words had hit close to home, reminded him of the guilt he cared. He guessed that the demigod knew that the heroes knew what he had done. That though he gave his life, too many others had been lost. And Tony knew first-hand what that guilt felt like.

 

He just didn’t appreciate the demigod bringing it up.

 

“How and why is he here?” Tony asked Percy, knowing the son of Poseidon would be the only one with answers. The demigod world was still new to all of them.

 

Percy sighed. “So I told you about the Doors of Death, yeah? How they were left open when Thanatos was captured. Well, Gaea’s forces were able to slip a few choice souls out. Luke’s was one of them. They wanted him to fight for them, fight against us and the gods again. But Luke…”

 

“I just wanted a break,” Luke shrugged. “All my life, I’ve been on edge. Living with my mother, living on the streets, being a demigod and knowing I could die at any moment. The hatred of the gods, leaving children _alone,_ with abusive or neglectful or crazy parents and step-parents. The being the enemy, fighting against people who were family at one point. The being the vessel for Kronos, and then having to stab _myself_ in order to stop Kronos from rising, paying with my life. Knowing how many children suffered and died because of me. I couldn't do it anymore. And yeah, the gods can be awful, and selfish, and neglectful. But demigods won’t stop being born, and in the end, Gaea is worse. Kronos would’ve been worse. It’s the lesser of two evils. I’m not sure exactly who held me captive, but I escaped. I ran into Percy, who was with Peter.”

 

Tony frowned. He didn’t like that Luke had gone through all that at his age, knew how damaging it could be. He knew how bad Percy’s nightmares could be, that many demigods suffered from PTSD after the wars. After all, Percy had a service dog now.

 

“Peter told Luke he could stay in a spare bedroom,” Natasha cut in as she stood up.

 

Shuri had been quiet for a while, trying to figure out how best to convince the adults that Luke should stay. She was unsure about him herself, but knowing Percy was behaving and not freaking out about the demigod being back was enough for her. “I want to find a way to cloak him from the gods and the monsters, to keep him safe. And if my technology works, which it will, in time, it might be able to keep other demigods safe outside of their camps.” She knew appealing to the heroes sense of compassion would help. Keeping kids alive was important.

 

Clint hummed in agreement. Of the heroes currently present, he was the only one with biological children. He understood the urge to protect them from his world, could see why Shuri wanted to figure something out to shield Luke from his world.

 

“It would be an interesting challenge,” Bruce spoke slowly. “But I think this is something we all need to agree on. Percy has said himself that having a demigod around, especially with his parentage, can be dangerous. Two is something different, since it will be for an extended time.”

 

Peter turned towards those who hadn’t spoken yet. Thor, Steve, Bucky, and Rhodey were watching them. “What do you think?”

 

“I think Bruce is right,” Rhodey started. “We have to consider all angles. I believe it can be done, but what might happen before then? The compound has been attacked once already, because we sometimes house a demigod. I know it’s not their fault, but what if we can’t handle it? The hellhounds were crazy enough.”

 

“Luke, son of Hermes, is known by some of my people,” Thor started. “We do not interact with other pantheons, but those who have a choice in the fate of the world catch our interests. Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Luke Castellan, Magnus Chase, Alex Fierro, Samirah al-Abbas, Carter and Sadie Kane. There have been many heroes, and we all need to keep our eyes on them. Perhaps not all of his choices were the best, but he is a hero.”

 

Peter turned to look at Steve. “What do you think?”

 

“It’s a risk,” Steve admitted, hesitating as he picked out the right words. “But if Shuri can make something to keep kids safe…”

 

Bucky eyed his friend, then the new demigod. “He deserves a second choice.” Bucky knew firsthand what it was like to be surrounded by people who were rightfully wary, who knew what they had done. Bucky knew that Tony was still wary of him, knew that although Bucky and the Winter Soldier were different people, they had the same face. But the inventor had allowed Bucky to live in the compound, and though they weren’t close, barely talked, things were getting better. 

 

Luke deserved the same thing.

 

“It’s settled, then,” Natasha made her way to the elevator. “Luke stays, and Percy, Peter and Shuri keep an eye on him. Now, I’m heading down to the gym if anyone wants to come.”

 

* * *

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _the second to last capture the flag of the summer is tonight_

 

Percy sighed when he saw the text. He wanted to go, see his friends and forget about the fact that Luke was back for a couple house. Percy hadn’t spent much time at camp this summer, choosing to be with his family, spend time at the compound, and he had therapy. He missed it, missed the fun and the people. He would still get a bead, but it wouldn’t be the same.

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: i wish i could go but something came up:(_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: but have fun & kick butt! <3_

 

He was put in charge of keeping an eye on Luke, since he knew the other demigod better than anyone else around. FRIDAY had already been informed where Luke could and couldn’t go, and to report anything suspicious.

 

Percy hated having to keep it a secret from his friends, especially Thalia and Annabeth. Luke had once been family to them, and the loss was still a sore spot for them. 

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _you better be at the next one, seaweed brain_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: i will b_

 

The last one of the summer would be the night before Percy moved to New Rome for college. It was a daunting prospect, but he would have friends with him. Rachel had somehow managed to get her parents to allow her to go to a school they hadn’t heard of in California. With the help of Chiron, and Reyna, Thalia and Hazel, the three demigods with the best control over the Mist, her parents did “research” on the school and decided it a good place for their “wild” daughter to go to. Mr. Dare still didn’t like Percy very much, but was forced to accept he was one of Rachel’s best friends.

 

Though New Rome University was typically reserved solely for Roman demigods and legacies, things were changing. After uniting to fight Gaea, the two sets of demigods were learning to get along, mostly because the Seven, along with Reyna and Nico, were already bonded through their shared experiences. Greeks were starting to be accepted into the university, slowly, but surely.

 

Percy and Annabeth were two of the first allowed to go. They were heroes of Olympus, and the son of Poseidon had once been praetor, though only for a very short time. Most of Camp Jupiter trusted him, and from what they knew about the daughter of Athena, they knew they could trust her.

 

Rachel was allowed to apply as well. Though she wasn’t a demigod or a legacy, she was a clear-sighted mortal turned Oracle. She’d be working closely with Ella as they studied the Sibylline Books. Reyna and Frank had decided it would be beneficial to keep the Oracle safe. Not just because she was the Oracle. But because she was one of the unsung heroes of the first Great Prophecy, and she was one of Percy’s best friends. They trusted her, even though they didn’t know her well.

 

The rest of their friends were younger, and would join New Rome University once they graduated high school. For the first year, it would be Percy, Annabeth, Rachel, and Reyna and Frank, who were taking a few courses on top of their busy praetor schedules.

 

**_the Oracle_ ** _: you have something you want to tell me, percy?_

 

Percy was startled out of his thoughts by his phone going off. Seeing the message from Rachel, he frowned.

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: what r u talking about?_

 

**_the Oracle_ ** _: did i or did i not have a dream in which luke came back from the dead and you and peter decided to hide him at the compound?_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: idk how ur brain works_

 

Percy knew he had to try and hide Luke from the demigod world unless the son of Hermes wanted other people to know. While Percy wasn’t comfortable lying to his friends, he understood Luke’s hesitations. And Percy wanted to give the other demigod the benefit of the doubt, hoping he wouldn’t regret it.

 

**_the Oracle_ ** _: don’t try and lie to me percy_

 

**_the Oracle_ ** _: i know you too well_

 

**_the Oracle_ ** _: is he safe?_

 

Percy sighed. Sometimes he hated that his red-headed best friend was sometimes gifted what they liked to call “the Sight.” It usually worked out in their favor, warning of them of dangers that might come. They weren’t sure how it worked, and why she got the glimpses of the future they did. It was surprising when the glimpses starting coming back, after all the Oracles went dormant. However, they were usually just small things, like a car crash that was going to happen, or that someone would win the lottery. They didn’t connect to the demigod world much, anymore. They were hoping that would change once Apollo and Meg finished their quest.

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: yes_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: but u CANT tell any1! not even annabeth or thalia_

 

**_the Oracle_ ** _: i hope you know what you’re doing percy_

 

**_the Oracle_ ** _: i trust you, but luke… he’s a different story_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: thank u rachel_

 

**_Seaweed Brain_ ** _: i owe u_

 

Percy wasn’t sure why Rachel had let the matter drop so easily, but he was thankful she had. He knew he wasn’t off the hook, and that he’d be having to talk to Rachel later. He had a feeling she knew more than she was letting on.

 

* * *

“Hi, mom,” Percy smiled as she greeted him back. “I, uh… Something came up, and I know it’s late notice, but can I stay at the compound tonight?”

 

“Is Tony okay with this?” Sally asked.

 

“Yeah, he is. He’s well aware of the… situation.”

 

“Percy,” she started. “What’s going on?”

 

“It’s nothing, bad, I promise!” Percy was quick to assure her. “We’re not in any danger. I can’t tell you right now. But as soon as I can, I will. Everyone here knows, and will make sure nothing happens.” He wanted to tell her. She would know what to do in a situation like this, tell him if he should inform Chiron and camp, or if he should give Luke a chance to prove himself. But he promised.

 

Sally hesitated. She didn’t like not knowing what was going on in her son’s life, but knew there was a lot she couldn’t understand. But she trusted that the superheroes would step in if something got too dangerous. Though they didn’t understand the demigod world, they had grown protective over her son. They cared, and that’s what truly mattered. That her son had people he cared about, and that he cared about, that made sure he was safe. 

 

“Okay,” she agreed. “Don’t forget you promised to watch Estelle tomorrow when Paul and I go out to dinner.”

 

“I’ll be there,” Percy promised. “Seven o’clock, right?”

 

“Seven o’clock,” Sally confirmed. “Feel free to bring Rachel and Peter over, if you’d like. I know how much Estelle likes to spend time with them.”

 

Percy smiled. He loved how easily his friends fit into their family, and that his sister loved them, too. They liked to have movie nights, showing Estelle a different Disney movie each time.

 

“I will. Love you.”

 

“Love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> νερό αγόρι = water boy, in Greek
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I know it's pretty demigod heavy, but I need both Luke and Percy's thoughts about everything to be written down. There will be more interactions coming up, and I'm going to keep focusing on the team rebuilding, while also learning to get along with Luke. Also, Hazel will soon become a bigger part of the story!
> 
> Side note: the first two Trials of Apollo book are canon in this story, but I will NOT be following the plot of the third book.
> 
> As always, let me know if you want to see anything in this story, series, or as another story! Fandoms I write for are on my profile.


	10. Sleepless Nights and Changes in the Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke gets used to the routine of the compound, and Percy just wants a break.

Luke knew that there were cameras everywhere, knew that they would monitor his every move, report anything suspicious.

 

The AI, FRIDAY, ran the building. But she wasn’t the only AI in the compound. There was also Karen, Peter’s personal AI.

 

Luke was sneaky. It came with being a son of Hermes, the god of mischief. It came naturally, and without thinking much about it, Luke was able to somehow get past a few cameras before he realized it.

 

When he did, he had to consciously ensure he was seen by the cameras. He didn’t want to give them a reason to enhance the security on him. He appreciated the freedom he had.

 

He made his way to the gym. It was silent—tonight, there was no one else awake at this time.

 

Luke fiddled with the silver band on his wrist. It wouldn't come off, no matter how hard he tried. It used to be a tracking device, but he had gotten it disabled after he ran.

 

Now, it was a silver band that turned into a shield, much like Thalia and the Aegis. It had been given to him in hopes he would need it to fight against the gods again. He had never used it, and even though it was given to him by people he didn’t like, he was thankful for a way to protect himself. It was set to only unlock for him, as he had to use his thumbprint to activate it.

 

He fiddled with the band, but didn’t bring his shield out. He had only used it twice before, when his captors made him train. As he dropped his hand from his wrist, he made his way over to the wall of windows. He stared out, thinking.

 

He knew, in a way, the he was still a prisoner, just in a fancy superhero compound rather than a tent in the woods a few states away guarded by monsters.

 

Luke knew a lot of the residents of the compound were wary of him. They may not know him, but they knew what he had done. The former assassins were the least wary. They could take him out if needed, and they knew it.

 

There were two teenagers, that, while exposed to the superhero world because of family (created or given), didn’t appear to be powered or enhanced, as far as Luke knew. But he knew that there was stuff they weren't telling him, so he didn’t simply assume they were “normal.” Peter and Shuri were well loved, and would be protected. Percy, too, but he could also hold his own, and had, against Luke. He had powers, after all.

 

Luke reached for the band again, but this time, pressed his thumb against the cool metal, watching as the shield spiraled out.

 

It’s not the Aegis, but it tried to do the same thing: strike fear into the hearts of the enemy. The shield is a circle with a three foot radius, the goddess of misery, Achlys, on it in mid-scream.

 

“I met her,” Percy’s voice interrupted the silence as he walked into the room, fiddling with his pen. “Achlys,” he clarified upon seeing Luke’s confused face. “In Tartarus.” Percy’s face was a collection of anger, fear, and determination.

 

That was the most Luke had heard about the pit, about Percy and Annabeth (and Nico) being down there. He doesn’t know how to approach it.

 

However, Percy left it at that, closed up as he looked away.

 

Luke didn’t blame him. Trauma was something he knew all too well, knew that Percy did, too. The younger demigod had an emotional support dog, after all. 

 

The son of Hermes knew he wasn’t the most trustworthy person, knew the demigod next to him had people to talk to if needed. He wasn’t alone, so Luke didn’t push.

 

It was three-thirty in the morning, and they sit together, looking at the stars in silence.

 

* * *

Shuri spent the whole night in the lab with Peter, working on gauntlets for Percy and trying to mask Luke.

 

The heroes all thought they were sleeping. They made their way to the labs with the help of Friday. She didn’t alert anyone, since they weren’t doing anything dangerous.

 

Shuri worked carefully, using vibranium in a similar fashion to her brother’s suit, using the schematics of her own gauntlets.

 

Meanwhile, Peter started on a cloaking device by typing up everything he knew about the demigod world. Monsters, the phones Leo made that were safe for demigods to use. Peter even had a prototype of the phone that he wanted to take apart to figure out how it worked.

 

Pulling it out of his pocket, Peter made his way over to his section of the lab. Rifling through the drawer full of tools at his station, he pulled out the few he would need. Peter started with pulling the back of the phone off, revealing the inner workings.

 

He had pulled plenty of electronic devices apart before, but this was different. This wasn’t a normal phone, and the technology he had to pull from it had never been seen before, ever.

 

The two friends worked in relative silence, occasionally breaking it when Shuri needed something she couldn’t find, or Peter mumbling to himself what he was seeing, and what he would need for the project.

 

By the time FRIDAY announced to them that it was seven in the morning, and some of the other compound inhabitants were awake, they had made progress. There was still more to do, but they were satisfied with they had accomplished.

 

Peter stuck the deconstructed phone and small, silver disk he had started on, into a locked drawer that could only be unlocked by his finger print. Meanwhile, Shuri took the base of the gauntlets, one already infused with vibranium, into another drawer that Peter locked up.

 

Once everything was put away, they snuck upstairs, knowing that to keep suspicions off of them, that by ten, they’d have to be in the kitchen for breakfast. They split up to head to their rooms, waving at each other as they left.

 

* * *

Natasha watched as the younger inhabitants made their way into the kitchen. Though they were trying to act like they were awake (Peter and Shuri) or happy (Percy) or acting at ease (Luke), she could tell they were anything but. 

 

She knew nightmares had woken Percy up again, that at about four am he was woken up, and hadn’t been able to go back to sleep. She knew Luke was wary, that he would be for a while. And she could tell that the younger two had been up all night, doing who-knows-what, likely in the lab.

 

But she didn’t say anything, choosing to slide a cup of coffee to Percy, which he took thankfully, and placed a box of muffins in front of the rest.

 

“If anyone else wants coffee, help yourself,” she grabbed her mug before walking off, ruffling Percy’s hair as she headed towards her room.

 

“Black Widow makes you coffee?” Luke raised his eyebrow.

 

Percy shrugged. “Yeah, sometimes. She knows when the nightmares get bad, and that’s usually when she’s nicer to me.” He sipped from his mug, trying to ignore the look on Luke’s face. Luckily, Steve and T’Challa picked that moment to walk in.

 

Steve looked around at the group, noting how they all looked exhausted, like they could fall asleep standing up. “Did any of you get _any_ sleep?” He looked over at Peter and Shuri first. He knew that Peter had started taking to the lab longer than he should, following in Tony’s footsteps. Though the super solider knew the teen was brilliant, he was still young. School was going to start up again soon, and he would need to be on a good sleep schedule. If he didn’t start soon, it would be harder later.

 

“Define any,” Peter looked sheepish. “Because yes, technically I did get some sleep.”

 

“FRIDAY,” Steve sighed. “When did Peter and Shuri go to bed?”

 

_They went to bed at slightly after seven this morning._

 

“Shuri,” T’Challa shook his head. “I promised that I’d make sure you got regular sleep and meals. It was one of the conditions of bringing you here.”

 

Shuri rolled her eyes. “Come on, brother. It’s not like it’s going to be like this _every_ night. We had work to do.”

 

“And what about you two?” Steve crossed his arms as he leaned against the counter, looking at the two demigods.

 

“Nightmares woke me up around four, and I wasn’t able to get back to sleep,” Percy shrugged as he got up to refill his mug. “I ran into Luke in the gym and we just kind of sat there.”

 

“What were you doing up?” Steve asked Luke, looking slightly suspicious. He was willing to give Luke some leeway, since he remembered how hard it was for Bucky to gain everyone’s trust. However, he knew he had to be cautious. Percy was the only one who knew Luke before, would be the one to truly judge if Luke had changed. The younger demigod didn’t seem too concerned at the moment, so he didn’t give Luke the third degree.

 

“Couldn’t sleep. I’ve always had to be on edge, and I’m a light sleeper. There’s not many places I can go, and I guess I feel safe enough in the gym.” Luke didn’t break eye contact with the super soldier. He wasn’t intimidated, even though many people would be in the same situation. He had been through enough in his life to show no fear, to understand his own strengths and how to read his opponents to throw them off guard.

 

Something set him off about the super soldier. Steve reminded Luke of himself in some ways, and maybe that’s why he wasn’t a fan. Someone who had ideas that could possibly change things for the better, but had poor execution skills due to their stubbornness, and sometimes being unwilling to listen to other options. They became too one-track minded, Steve wanting to save his best friend, Luke wanting to get revenge on the gods for all they did. Their ideas weren’t bad. Their execution was. Getting equality and attention from the gods, and rewriting the Accords. They believed they were doing the right thing, but the consequences…

 

Then there were the other heroes. Luke hadn’t been around very long, only a couple of days, but he had still been able to establish his feelings towards each hero, and their feelings towards him. He may not have been a spy, but being a child of Hermes helped him notice small details, something that helped him out with playing pranks, or stealing wallets when it came to it.

 

Tony, like Steve, was too much like him. They carried guilt too well, well aware of what people said about them. They were good at avoiding problems, mostly by doing other things instead of sleeping, avoiding the nightmares. They were both known well in their respective worlds, known for destruction that they caused: the original Stark Industries before it was re-vamped by Tony and Pepper, and the Great Prophecy. They had both meant to give their life to save the world: Tony with the wormhole, and Luke on Olympus.

 

Luke didn’t like how easily Natasha could sneak around. He had grown up looking over his shoulders for monsters, and it set him on edge when she appeared from nowhere. He felt like he was a kid again, alone on the streets until he met Thalia, then Annabeth. While he had created a family while on the run, being young and hunted by creatures the average person couldn't see, which meant they couldn't help, was something he wanted to forget.

 

He didn’t like Clint in the air vents, using his myriad of arrows to play pranks on everyone. It reminded him too much of Connor and Travis, and his other siblings. It made him miss them, but he was still angry at the gods, wary of camp.

 

Bruce Banner was nice enough, but they had different interests. Banner was often in the lab, and Luke preferred to train alone, or with Percy, since the other demigod understood things the others couldn’t. However, he’d make small talk with the doctor if they ran into each other that _didn’t_ make Luke want to turn and run.

 

Thor didn’t look down on him, but he was from a different pantheon which made Luke uneasy. It was enough to know that the Greeks and the Romans were out there. Luke didn’t want to deal with anything else.

 

T’Challa was somewhat of a wild card. Luke didn’t spend much time around him, but when they did speak, it was cordial. He figured it stemmed from the hero also being a king, and because even though he had once hunted the Winter Solider, he knew Bucky Barnes was different, and took him in. While Luke’s situation was different, it was close enough that the king of Wakanda never seemed to be on edge or suspicious when around the son of Hermes.

 

Luke got along with Bucky. After all, they had both been the enemy before. They had both done things they weren’t proud of, and, at a point, had been under someone else’s control: HYDRA and Kronos. Though he related the most to Bucky, and knew the other man would be more receptive to him, it sometimes hit too close to home. It reminded Luke of what he had done, knew that no matter how much he apologized and if he made up with those he hurt, the memories would never fade.

 

Rhodes was the one he got along with the most. They were both wary of each other, but for good reasons. They didn’t shy away from it, and at the same time, they didn’t bring up past actions. They were in the past, and couldn’t be undone. They understood what could be said, and what should be kept quiet. Rhodes dealt with the situation similar to how he acted with Tony after a particularly hard mission. He knew what to press, and what to leave alone. Though the man wouldn’t go out of his way to talk to Luke, he also never ignored him.

 

“Demigod nightmares are often worse than those of mortals,” Percy shrugged. “Because they tend to come true. They show us what’s to come.”

 

“That sounds… awful,” Pepper frowned as she walked into the kitchen, already up and with a meeting done. She grabbed a cup of coffee, before heading to the fridge to find something to eat. Like her fiancé, she was trying to bridge the gap that the civil war left behind. It was this wish that led her to being in the communal kitchen, rather than the one she and Tony had, that the teens could often be found in.

 

She, though not truly neutral, hadn’t actually been at the airport that day. She was a logical person, and knew that they would need to learn to work and live with each other again. Even if they never became family, they needed to become a team again.

 

“So… the things you told us about,” Steve started. “You knew they were going to happen before they actually happened?”

 

“Not everything, and never as detailed as the actual events. Things can be vague, or out of context. But yeah, some of the events… I had an idea of what was coming.” Percy grabbed a blueberry muffin, grinning at the fact that it was completely blue. The heroes had adapted to Percy’s quirks, and there was always blue food within the compound for him.

 

“Did you…” Pepper hesitated. “Know about how the first Great Prophecy was going to end?” She looked between both demigods, who exchanged a brief glance.

 

“Kind of?” Percy responded for the both of them. “My friend Rachel, the Oracle, had a better idea. But yeah, I knew it would end with death. The prophecy told us that much. ‘Hero’s soul cursed blade shall reap, a single choice to end his days.’”

 

“Except everyone thought it would be Percy.” Luke fiddled with the silver band around his wrist. He wasn’t used to it, but it was a form of protection. He hoped that his captors wouldn’t figure out a way to reactivate the tracker. He didn’t want to be what they wanted him to be. He just wanted a break.

 

“Let’s just say it was the worst birthday I’ve had,” Percy put his mug into the dishwasher as he threw away the muffin wrapper.

 

“Well, I’m glad you’re here now,” Pepper squeezed Percy’s hand. “We all are.”

 

Percy smiled back at her.

 

Luke watched them with fascination. It was clear the heroes actually cared about the son of Poseidon and truly cared about his well-being. They were different in media than what he had seen so far.

 

Maybe this time, being a prisoner of sorts, wouldn’t be too bad.

 

* * *

 

Annabeth knew something was up with her boyfriend, that there was something he wasn’t telling her. He had been silent for the most part over the past couple days, barely responding to the messages she, or any of their friends, sent to him.

 

The summer was almost over, and they still had things to prepare for their move to New Rome, to start going to New Rome University. It would be hard to leave New York behind, as they had many memories there. Their camp was there. But they would be back during breaks, and over the summer.

 

The Greek camp would find new leaders to make decisions while Percy and Annabeth were away, likely Piper and Leo, or whichever of the Seven decided to stay at Camp Half-Blood.

 

It was weird, for Annabeth, to leave behind a place that had been her home for so long, to go to a place that was so similar, but yet, so different. Different traditions, and a whole community, rather than a camp. A place that she had never really gotten to see, but that she knew Percy found to be a safe place. They had taken him in despite reservations, and made him one of them, a leader.

 

And Reyna, Frank, and Hazel were good friends of hers. The bond between the Greeks and Romans was strengthening, especially because of Percy and Jason.

 

Sighing, Annabeth glanced at her phone. It was open to the messages she had sent to her boyfriend.

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _hey, reyna wants to know when we’re going to NRU_

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _Katie and I are trying to get the group together one last time before the summer is over._

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _what’s going on, percy?_

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _are you at the compound?_

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _rachel knows something, doesn’t she?_

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _you better not be dead or dying, Seaweed Brain, or I swear to Hades._

 

He hadn’t responded to her since the day before, simply to say he was busy, and that he’d talk to her when he could. She knew he was at the compound, knew that Sally had to have some inkling of what was going on, since she didn’t seem too concerned.

 

But the superheroes who resided in the compound hadn’t been seen in a couple days. There was a rumor of Natasha being seen slipping into the shadows around Queens and Manhattan, but no one had any real evidence.

 

It was suspicious, and there were plenty of murmurs, different theories going around. After all, the top levels of the compound, where the heroes resided, were on lockdown, the only one going in and out being Pepper, but only when she had official Stark Industries business.

 

Annabeth knew that Percy had a valid reason why he wasn’t responding. He was usually good about it. And she knew that with his powers, and the other heroes around, he would be okay. But that didn’t stop her from worrying, especially when she discovered that Rachel knew what was going on, but couldn’t tell her. The redhead had promised Percy that he could break the news.

 

The daughter of Athena respected their loyalty to each other, but she wanted to know. Based off the look on Rachel’s face, it was shocking, and probably wouldn’t be handled well by all.

 

Annabeth couldn’t even begin to guess what was going on, knowing that as demigods, there wasn’t much off limits. And if the heroes were also taking it seriously, it had to be something big.

 

She knew the heroes trusted Percy and his opinions, and if he needed to handle the situation on the down-low, they would back him up.

 

She just didn’t know why she, or any of their friends, besides Peter (who wouldn’t tell her), couldn’t know.

 

* * *

Percy sighed as he glanced at his phone for the first time that day. It was two in the afternoon, and everyone in the compound had gone separate ways for a little bit, scattered throughout the building. Some where in the training room, some in the lab, some in their rooms.

 

Percy had gone back to his room in the compound to clear his head, and catch up on what he had missed. He had a lot of texts to answer.Seeing them, he wanted to go back home even more. Though he wanted to keep an eye on Luke, he also wanted to spend time away from all the memories Luke brought back.

 

Deciding to escape for a little while by talking to his friends, he scrolled through his messages.

 

**_Antonia:_ ** _hey, mom wants to treat you to dinner before you move out west to CA_

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _hey, reyna wants to know when we’re going to NRU_

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _Katie and I are trying to get the group together one last time before the summer is over._

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _what’s going on, percy?_

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _are you at the compound?_

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _rachel knows something, doesn’t she?_

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _you better not be dead or dying, Seaweed Brain, or I swear to Hades._

 

**_Queen of Rome:_ ** _your apartment is all set up. let me know when you’re planning on arriving so frank and i can greet you_

 

**_the Oracle:_ ** _thalia and annabeth know that i know something. you need to tell them something._

 

**_Mom:_ ** _I’m going to need you to babysit tonight if possible. If not, I’ll try and see if Rachel is free._

 

Percy responded to his mom first, as she had the earliest deadline. He needed a break from everything that happened, so he told his mom he would be home at seven. FRIDAY passed on the message to the other heroes, letting them know that he needed a break, to be with family.

 

They agreed to keep an eye on Luke while Percy was gone.

 

While the younger demigod was learning to get along with the son of Hermes again, he couldn’t help remembering the Battle of Manhattan, everything and everyone lost during the fight.

 

Andi seemed to be able to tell he was more stressed than usual, and stuck close to him. She watched Luke warily, but never growled at him.

 

Percy was glad to have her. She helped him a lot, and he would forever be thankful to Mr. Stark for helping him get her.

 

He scratched behind her ears as she came to lay next to him, continuing to pet her as he replied to the other messages that he had missed. He had the most from Annabeth, so he responded to her next, before responding to Reyna, Antonia, and Rachel.

 

**_Seaweed Brain:_ ** _sorry, wise girl_

 

**_Seaweed Brain:_ ** _there’s a lot going on. i wish i could tell u now but i cant_

 

**_Seaweed Brain:_ ** _but I'm safe and the heroes r helping me out_

 

**_Seaweed Brain:_ ** _i’ll tell u as soon as i can_

 

He looked through his schedule, looking for a time that he could spend with Antonia and her mom before the two left for college.

 

**_Percy:_ ** _hey ‘tonia! sorry 4 the l8 response. i should b free on saturday_

 

With the confirmation of Saturday night with his mom, and Antonia and her mom, he proceeded to respond to Rachel.

 

**_Seaweed Brain:_ ** _I know. i just have to figure out what_

 

Finally, he went to respond to Reyna.

 

**_Seaweed Brain:_ ** _thanks 4 getting it all set up!_

 

**_Seaweed Brain:_ ** _we r planning on getting there that saturday_

 

With all the messages responded to, he tucked his phone into his pocket, before picking up his bag. With Andi at his side, he made his way out of his room, down the hallway, and to the common room, where Shuri and Peter were waiting to say bye to him.

 

“Watch out for Luke for me,” Percy hugged his friends. “And not just because I’m still concerned about if he changed or not. But he’s a demigod, too. Nightmares get real bad. If you need advice, I’m a phone call away.”

 

Shuri nodded. “We will. And by the time you’re back, I think I should have the gauntlets done, and we might have a prototype of the cloaking device.”

 

“Sounds like a plan,” Percy smiled. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow night.”

 

“Stay safe!” Peter called out as the elevator doors closed.

 

“I will!” was the last thing they heard as the elevator went down.

 

“Back to the lab?” Shuri asked.

 

“I’ll lead the way,” Peter grinned in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that I haven't updated in a month. Between school, work, and other activities, I've been quite busy. As well, my school is reeling from three deaths that just occurred over the past couple days. However, finishing this chapter was a welcome distraction, as one of the deaths was of an English professor, and that is one of my departments.
> 
> On a different note, I'm going to try and update this story more often. As well, I'm considering what stories I want to start in the near future, so if you'd like to know about those, they're on my profile. Let me know which one you'd like to see next! (I will continue to work on this series, and I want to finish one, or two, of my WIPs before starting a new story.)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	11. Something's Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thalia decides that something is off, so she texts her friends to see if they know what's going on. Percy needs advice on the whole "Luke is back" thing, so he talks to his mom.

Thalia frowned as she examined her bow. Something felt off, but she couldn't find anything wrong with the weapon. She had been having the feeling for a week or so, but she couldn't place it.

 

She wanted to go back to camp, make sure all her friends were okay. But the Hunters were in Colorado, and she had no idea when she’d be back in New York. She had a phone, but when she opened it to message Annabeth, Jason or Percy, she didn’t know what to say. If there was something going on, a text message wouldn’t do much. They might not tell her everything, and she wouldn’t be able to tell if they were lying.

 

Deciding it was at least a try, she passed on messaging her brother or cousin, choosing instead to text her friend. It was likely that Annabeth would be the most honest. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Jason or Percy, but they were more likely to get into trouble and not tell people to try and minimize the damage, or try and handle it on their own.

 

**_the Huntress:_ ** _hey, how’s camp? anything interesting happening?_

 

She didn’t want to make it obvious she was trying to pry, so she tried to keep it discrete. As the Hunters gathered to eat, Thalia waited impatiently for a response.

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _not really, just getting ready for the end of summer and to give out the beads. what about with you?_

 

**_the Huntress:_ ** _not much out of the ordinary. we have a new recruit though_

 

Deciding that Annabeth was telling the truth, Thalia decided to text Reyna to see if there was something going on at the Roman camp. She was the closest to the female praetor of those currently at the camp, and she knew the Roman would tell her if there was something serious going on.

 

**_the Huntress:_ ** _something feels off. how’s New Rome?_

 

**_Queen of Rome:_ ** _Everything’s in order here. Is CHB okay?_

 

**_the Huntress:_ ** _it seems like it. if it’s not either camp, what is it?_

 

**_Queen of Rome:_ ** _I think something might be going on with Percy and Peter. They’re with the superheroes, last I heard._

 

**_the Huntress:_ ** _what’s going on w/the heroes?_

 

**_Queen of Rome:_ ** _They’ve been on lockdown for a couple days. Haven’t been seen in public, any of them. Only Pepper Potts, but only for important SI meetings._

 

**_Queen of Rome:_ ** _But there are rumors of Black Widow being spotted in Manhattan and Queens._

 

Thalia frowned as she pulled up information about the heroes. And sure enough, none of them had been confirmed to be sighted in the past couple days, the only people leaving the compound being employees and Pepper Potts when she had a meeting.

 

Flipping carefully through photos of everyone who exited the building, she paused as a familiar face was at the edge of the frame, half his face cut off.

 

Percy Jackson.

 

His forearm was also in shot, letting her see his Roman tattoo as he ducked into a car waiting for him. He only had his backpack and Andi with him, as if he was only going to be gone a short time before returning to the compound and whatever was happening there. There was no doubt in Thalia’s mind that it was her friend, and that he’d likely be headed back to his apartment. Thinking fast, she suggested to Annabeth that she could surprise him, as he’d be home that night.

 

Thalia knew that her cousin knew something. Things usually connected back to him. And whatever it was, the superheroes knew. It had to be important enough that they knew, and locked down the compound. Thalia knew that they knew about the demigod world, knew it came to light when the compound was attacked by hellhounds and Percy had to protect those there. It had to be serious to warrant the lockdown, but if Percy hadn’t immediately warned them all, it couldn’t be life threatening.

 

Sighing as she put her phone away, she put on a smile as she headed over to where the other Hunters were gathered around the campfire, starting to pass food around. She would have time to worry about whatever was going on later.

* * *

 

Percy smiled as Andi went to greet Estelle, who was coloring. He watched his dog interact with his sister, before collapsing face first on the couch.

 

Sally smiled, amused, as she entered the room. “A lot going on?”

 

“Yeah,” Percy groaned as he flipped over. “It’s exhausting being a demigod. You literally never know what’s going to happen next. I don’t think there’s anything that’s not possible.”

 

“What happened this time?” she asked as she sat down after her son made room. As he rested his head in her lap, she ran her fingers through his hair.

 

Percy hesitated. He wanted to tell her, but he had promised Luke that it would stay a secret. In the end, he decided to tell his mom. He hadn’t sworn on the River Styx to keep it a secret (or sworn on the river at all, to be honest)— just promised that Thalia and Annabeth would find out from the son of Hermes himself. Though he hated breaking promises, he needed someone removed from the situation to help him out, and there was no one he trusted more.

 

“Luke’s back.”

 

* * *

Annabeth knew her friend was up to something. It wasn’t that hearing from Thalia was rare, or completely out of the blue. But the daughter of Zeus was often busy with the Hunt and didn’t start conversations very frequently, especially involving her and Percy’s relationship.

 

**_Wise Girl:_ ** _i think seaweed brain’s fine. percy might get into trouble all the time, but he’s just busy. i trust him_

 

The daughter of Athena hoped she was right, and that whatever going on wasn’t going to end up destroying the world. Her boyfriend was smart, though, especially more than given credit for. If it became serious enough, she trusted that he’d tell someone. As it was, he wasn’t alone in whatever was going on. Peter, and the other superheroes, knew what was happening.

 

Despite her worry, she decided not to press, convincing Thalia that everything was okay. The blonde hoped she wasn’t wrong.

 

Life as a demigod meant she always had to be on edge, never knowing what might happen. She had friends who died, and came back to life, she now knew the Romans existed, she and Percy had both had opportunities for immortality. She had met Daedalus, and her father had melted down demigod weapons to create bullets that could kill monsters. There wasn’t much more that could surprise her at this point.

 

Sighing, Annabeth tucked her phone into her pocket. She got off her bed, heading towards her brother Malcolm’s desk. He was focusing on the book in front of him, tapping his pencil on the desk to the tune of his music, which Annabeth could faintly hear coming from the headphones. She tapped him on his shoulder, smiling amused as he whirled around, eyes wide. Upon spotting her, Malcolm rolled his eyes fondly before placing the headphones next to his book.

 

“What’s up?” he asked, turning away from the desk to give her his full attention.

 

“Thalia,” Annabeth sat down in the chair at the neighboring desk. “I love hearing from her, but… She messaged me, out of the blue, about what Percy is up to. He’s at the Avengers Compound, and there’s the whole lock-down. She feels like something is off, and wants to know what he’s up to. I told her he hasn’t told me anything, but I trust him. I do…”

 

“But Thalia planted a seed of doubt, even if she didn’t mean to?” Malcolm smiled knowingly. “I understand she’s worried about what might be going on. That’s reasonable, especially with our lives. But Percy would tell someone if there was a life-threatening emergency. Yes, I understand it has to be serious if the compound is on lockdown. However, the heroes can handle it, right? I mean, they have been so far.”

 

“That’s true,” Annabeth admitted. “You’re right. I trust Percy. If it’s something that won’t jeopardize the fate of the world, or something he has to work through, first, he’ll tell us when he’s ready. Thanks, Mal.”

 

“Any time,” Malcolm smiled back at his sister. He was used to going to her for advice, as she had the most experience when it came to the real world, quests, and everything that came with being a demigod, so it was nice to see she valued his input. As her second-in-command, they spent a fair amount of time around each other, especially within recent months. With Annabeth getting ready to move to New Rome for the school year, he would become the Head Counselor for Cabin Six while she was away. It was a big responsibility, and the whole summer had been filled with lessons on the way to support each of their cabin mates through anxiety attacks, or writer’s block, or bad dreams. As well, he met with other cabin heads during meetings along with Annabeth to establish a connection and trust.

 

He knew all the demigods in a general setting, but dynamics changed during cabin head meetings. Even though he was friends with other heads of cabins, the setting became more serious and they sometimes had to work through issues more pressing than betting on what they were having for lunch.

 

Malcolm had always known his sister did a lot for the cabin, and had for many years. However, it was only now that he realized the extent. Over the years, Annabeth had learned how to care for the newer members of the cabin, analyze situations and provide factual evidence, and become one of the most trusted demigods to pass through the Greek camp.

 

He had a lot to live up to, but with his sister’s encouragement, he felt ready to handle it.

 

* * *

Sally was surprised by the words that came out of her son’s mouth, pausing her actions to think them over carefully. She knew about Luke, had been told the story about the son of Hermes from Percy, Annabeth, Grover, Thalia. Those who had been most affected by him, who had trusted him before.

 

Between what the four of them had told her, she had learned what he had been like before camp, at camp, and during the war, getting a full picture of the blond.

 

She knew that her son insisted that Luke was the hero of the prophecy, and she had to admit, Percy had a point. It had been Luke’s blade, Luke’s broken promise, and Luke’s life, while Percy had simply made the choice to hand over the dagger. However, she knew her son, and his friends, were also heroes, and it took all of them to win.

 

She was not the biggest fan of Luke when he tried to kill her son, when he hurt the demigods. She had seen how the deaths of campers affected her son, knew it was even worse because Luke, someone who Percy had once thought he could trust, was the direct reason for some, and indirect for others. But she sympathized with his earlier years, when he lived alone with a mother who wasn’t quite there, when he just wanted to be loved. She couldn’t blame him being upset that demigods were getting hurt, dying at young ages, and that he wanted it to stop. However, though he had good intentions, his methods caused far more damage, and he ended up paying with his life.

 

“Is that why the compound is on lock-down?”

 

Percy nodded. “Peter and I ran into him by chance, talked to him. He was snuck through the Doors of Death when they were open, hoping he would side against us and the gods again in the battle against Gaea. When he refused, they continued to hold him hostage. He escaped, made it to New York. Peter offered him a room at the compound. The Avengers all know what happened, know Luke’s story. They’re helping me keep an eye on him.”

 

“Does anyone else know?”

 

Percy shook his head. “I wanted to tell Thalia and Annabeth, but Luke made me promise they would hear from him. The last thing Luke heard before he died was me promising to honor his last wish. Even though I’m not sure if I can trust him or not, I want him to know I keep my promises.”

 

Sally smiled softly, proud of her son. She stayed silent, however, knowing Percy had more to say.

 

“I want to keep my promise, but I don’t want to break the trust I have with Thals or Annabeth. I want them to know they can trust me.” He looked frustrated.

 

“You’re loyal, Percy. I think they’ll understand, in the end. It might be hard on them at first, knowing that you didn’t tell them. But you’re keeping a promise by not telling them, sticking to your core values. You keeping promises is a sign they can trust you, especially Annabeth. A broken promise caused her a lot of pain in the past. Thalia became a Hunter to help heal. Annabeth found friends, but it’s not something that will go away quickly. Even though you’re not telling them something you believe they deserve to know, keeping a promise is respectable.”

 

Percy was silent for a few minutes as he stared up at the ceiling, processing his mom’s words. He knew she was right, knew she would always tell him what he needed to hear, even if it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. In this case, it helped ease his nerves that his mom told him Thalia and Annabeth would understand him keeping a promise he made, even if it was something the son of Poseidon felt the deserved to know. It couldn't be too bad if his mom said so.

 

“When do I know if it’s gone on too long?”

 

“Well,” Sally hesitated. “If I was you, I wouldn’t wait past your fall break when you’re all home, and plan on meeting up. The sooner you can tell them, the easier it will be to recover, but Luke also needs time to adjust.”

 

Percy nodded thoughtfully, deciding that when he was back at the compound the following day, he would have a talk with the son of Hermes.

 

* * *

 

**_Queen of Rome:_ ** _Something’s going on with Percy. Thalia is trying to figure it out, but no one seems to know anything. He trusts you, and I know you two are like family. Any chance you might be able to check in on him?_

 

**_Diamond in the Rough:_ ** _i’ll IM him tonight_

 

**_Queen of Rome:_ ** _Thank you, Hazel. Let me know if there’s anything I can help with._

 

Hazel waited as the message connected, smiling when she saw her friend. She and Percy were close, as they bonded over their first quest to Alaska. Though he had no memories, he still had more experience than she and Frank did, and through shared experiences, they had become close. The son of Poseidon and the son of Mars were her two best friends, Percy to the point that he was like a big brother now. As well, the time he had spent in New Rome with Peter had only served to strengthen their friendship, and their friendships with others, including Reyna.

 

“Hi, Percy,” she waved. She noted that he was at home, as she recognized the familiar apartment, and she had spotted Sally in the background, in the kitchen either baking or cooking. Estelle was with her father next to Percy, as it was story time.

 

“Hi, Hazel,” his eyes lit up. His expression grew suspicious after a moment. “Not that it’s not great to hear from you, but I haven’t heard from you in a while, and for you to contact me now… Did someone put you up to this?”

 

Hazel sighed, not surprised that her friend had figured it out. He was pretty good at reading people, and due to how close they were, it wasn’t surprising. “Reyna,” she admitted. “Apparently Thalia thinks something is up?”

 

“I love my cousin, but sometimes…” Percy mumbled under his breath. “It’s nothing for you to worry about—” he started, but stopped. Hazel had also been brought back through the Doors when they were open, like Luke. Though they had different stories, she might be able to understand the most how Luke might be feeling. He trusted her, but he had to make his intentions clear to the compound residents, first. “Actually, you might be able to help. But you have to promise to keep this between us, and those at the compound. And my mom,” he added on as an afterthought. “And you definitely can’t tell Annabeth and Thalia, not yet. It’ll make sense, I promise.”

 

Hazel hesitated. She trusted her friend, but she didn’t like keeping secrets from her friends, and she didn’t like that Percy was keeping whatever was going on from Annabeth and Thalia. However, she wanted to know what was happening, and having another demigod around might be helpful. She also knew that Percy had to have a good reason to be keeping a secret from them. Normally, he would never do such a thing. His reason made her curious, and more inclined to go along with what he had to tell her. With a promise to herself to let Reyna know she was handling it, and would tell her when the time was right, Hazel agreed to the conditions.

 

Percy promised to call her back, and she waited around anxiously for an hour, wondering what he would tell her.

 

When he called her back, he asked if she could meet him at his apartment the following morning. They would then make their way over the compound, where everything would be revealed. Percy informed her there would be a room for her, and she would have anything she needed at the compound.

 

After ending the call, she headed to her room to start packing. She was heading to New York.


	12. Daughter of Pluto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy brings Hazel back to the compound.

Hazel knocked on the Jackson-Blofis apartment door at nine in the morning. Her bags rested at her feet, her sword hidden securely. She wasn’t sure if she’d need it, but she knew better than to be unprepared.

 

The door opened, revealing Sally smiling at her. The woman hugged her, before ushering her into the apartment. It looked like they were just getting ready for breakfast. Paul was getting Estelle into her highchair, and there were plates set out at the table. However, Percy was nowhere to be seen. It didn’t surprise Hazel, though, since she knew how much her friend could sleep when there wasn’t any danger, or he wasn’t plagued by nightmares. 

 

“Have you had breakfast, yet?” Sally asked, placing another plate down in front of an empty chair. “We have plenty of food. I was just about to go get Percy. It was a good night, so I wanted to let him sleep as much as possible, but he made me promise to get him when you arrived.”

 

Hazel smiled sheepishly. She liked Percy’s mom, and it was nice to have a mother figure in her life. However, she was still adjusting to it, and never wanted to take advantage of her. “I could eat,” Hazel nodded as she sat down, turning to wave at Estelle.

 

“I’ll get Percy,” Sally turned to head down the hallway.

 

She reappeared a few minutes later, with Percy at her side, the son of Poseidon rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, his hair sticking up every which way.

 

He brightened when he saw her, plopping down in the chair besides her as he smiled. “Hey, Hazel. I’m glad you were able to come.”

 

“What’s this big thing that I need to keep a secret?” Hazel asked as she grabbed a piece of toast. “It has to be important if the compound is on lockdown.”

 

Percy grimaced as he stared at his plate. “It’s… a sensitive topic. For the Greeks. The Romans wouldn’t understand, not in the same way. We all understand loss, but this one… It was one of our losses that was also paired with betrayal.”

 

Hazel, Frank, Jason, and Reyna were the Romans who knew the most about the Greek side of the wars, about the losses they faced. But they didn’t know all the details, often didn’t know past the names and the looks on their friends faces when they mentioned them. Piper and Leo, too, felt out of place when the old-timers talked about past years. They had missed the first war, and all the losses and hardships leading up to it.

 

Percy and Annabeth were the ones who mostly carried the weight of those years. Nico understood some of it, was there for the first war. But he didn’t know them in the same way Percy and Annabeth did, hadn’t spent as many years at Camp Half-Blood as they had.

 

Sally squeezed her son’s shoulder, knowing it was hard for him to talk about Luke. It was rare that Percy opened up about how he truly felt about Luke, and Silena, especially, along with Zoe and Bianca. Those were the four losses that hurt him the most, even though none of the many losses were easy.

 

Hazel was hesitant with her words. “What happened, Percy? Did… does someone know something? Are people upset that the betrayal couldn’t be prevented?”

 

Percy shook his head. He looked at his mom first, then his step-father, sister, and cousin. Everyone in the apartment was family. They were people he wanted to protect. He understood why Luke did what he did, even though he didn’t like it. Luke was hurt that the gods didn’t intervene to save his family, to save the other demigods. Percy was, too, but instead of turning against the gods, he made the gods promise to be better, made them swear it on the River Styx.

 

Maybe that’s why Percy didn’t like thinking about Luke too much. The son of Hermes was what he could’ve been, in another life.

 

“Luke…” Percy trailed off, his grip on his fork tightening. “He’s back. Someone pulled him out through the Doors of Death, wanting him to fight against us again. He refused, he managed to run. Peter and I ran into him. I don’t know what to do,” he admitted. “Luke… he’s hard to talk about. It’s never easy. But something’s different, this time. I want to trust him, want to believe he can be who I once thought he was. I promised that he would be the one to tell Annabeth and Thalia. They were family, once. But we… _I,_ have to be cautious. It’s on me if anything goes wrong. I brought him back to the compound, got the heroes to help me. And I need help. You’re the first person I thought of. You… you understand the dying and coming back to life. And you’re cautious when you need to be, and you’re an outside party. I trust you.”

 

The daughter of Pluto had been one of the only people Percy knew he could trust when his memories were gone. She and Frank had been nice to him, and even though being a son of the sea was dangerous, especially since the Romans feared the sea, they were always at his side. They quickly became some of his best friends, and he would do whatever he could to protect them.

 

Hazel’s face softened as he talked. She understood the feelings he was feeling. And while she didn’t like talking about her death and time in the Underworld, she wanted to help. “I’ll help. And I won’t tell anyone unless I get the okay from you and Luke. It’ll be interesting to be around someone who’s died and come back to life like I have, and it should be interesting to meet these superheroes.”

 

“You should get along with Cap and Bucky,” Percy perked up. “They’re from the nineteen hundreds, too. Technically, they’re only about ten years older than you? But they appear about fifteen, twenty years older than you and Nico. Though, even with their advancements, you could probably beat them in a fight with your powers.”

 

“Then we better fill up, huh?”

 

* * *

 

Percy gripped the steering wheel tighter than usual on the drive to the compound. Hazel sat next to him, their stuff and Andi in the backseat. Andi was enjoying the fresh air, but she was still on alert, knowing that she was never truly off the clock.

 

Soft music played in place of conversation, and Hazel tactfully didn’t say anything. Instead, she was trying to mentally prepare herself for what was to come. She knew a little about Luke, enough to be wary of the whole situation. She knew Percy was too, but he would be hoping more that it would work out than anyone who knew. Even though it could end bad, Hazel had to admit that it also could end well. Either way, she would have a new experience, and get to hang out with her friends.

 

She was excited to see Peter again, as she got along well with him. It would also be nice to be away from camp for a while. Hazel liked Camp Jupiter, and had a lot of friends there, but it would be nice to have a break from training.

 

As the compound came into view, Hazel started gathering up her things. She had taken a book out, but had chosen to look out the window instead. She placed it back in her backpack just as Percy pulled into the parking spot reserved for him and Peter.

 

The two friends gathered their stuff, then made their way towards the doors, Andi walking alongside them. They waved at the guard, who recognized Percy, allowing him into the lobby.

 

“Hey, Michael,” Percy waved. “This is Hazel, my cousin. They’re expecting us.”

 

Usually, Percy could head up without a problem. However, he had to follow protocol and let the guard know when someone new would be joining him, so the name could be checked against cleared people. It was a simple level of security, one of many in place.

 

As they waited for Michael to contact Mr. Stark, Hazel took the time to look around. She was still getting used to the new century, as most of her time in the 2000s had consisted of quests, or being at camp, where though they had technology, didn’t reach what the compound had.

 

“Alright, go on up,” Michael waved them towards the private elevators. “Hey, do you know what’s up with the lockdown?”

 

Percy faked a smile. “It’s, uh, a need-to-know situation. Nothing too serious. The fate of the world isn’t at stake.”

 

“Good enough for me,” Michael chuckled. “Let me know if that changes.”

 

“Will do,” Percy waved good-bye as he and Hazel stepped onto the elevator.

 

“He seems nice,” Hazel commented as the elevator started to climb. “Is he the usual guard?”

 

“For this shift, yeah,” Percy replied. “I don’t think he actually knows any of the heroes, but I do know he knows Pepper. Though, she tends to know everyone around here. You’ll like her.” As the elevator started to slow, he breathed deeply. “I needed time away. I thought it would help, but this is still going to be hard. Thanks for coming.”

 

“Anytime,” Hazel smiled sincerely.

 

The doors opened, revealing the common room. Bucky was flipping through a book in one corner of the room, Bruce snacking on a muffin in another, a tablet in his lap. They were the only two heroes to be seen.

 

“Hey,” Percy spoke up. Once Bruce and Bucky were looking at him, he introduced Hazel. “This is my cousin, Hazel. She’s going to be staying with here for a little bit, to help with the situation.”

 

“Is she—” Bruce started to ask.

 

“Yeah, she is. She’s Roman, though.” He glanced at her, wanting to see if it was okay for them to know who her godly parent was. Revealing that she was a demigod was one thing, but her heritage was a more delicate topic.

 

“I’m a daughter of Pluto,” Hazel smiled slightly. She had learned to be proud of her godly parent, but she knew how others viewed him. Her father was the god of death, after all. “I live at the Roman camp.”

 

“I think you two will have a few things in common,” Percy looked at Bucky. “Along with Steve, and Nico, Hazel’s Greek brother.”

 

“And what would that be?” Bucky raised an eyebrow.

 

“You’re all from the nineteen hundreds, but are living now and look way younger than you technically are.” Percy was nonchalant when he broke the news. He had adjusted to the concept quickly, as he had known Nico for years. Hearing Hazel was from a different century wasn’t too weird of a concept, but while Nico had been alive for all those years, Hazel hadn’t. When he met Bucky and Steve, he hadn’t been phased by some of their phrases or references. It had been familiar, and he knew they appreciated that someone understood.

 

“That’s why you’re used to me and Steve, isn’t it?”

 

Percy nodded his head as he set his bags down. He would bring them to his room later, when he showed Hazel her room. Peter had arranged it with Mr. Stark, so her room would be right next to Percy’s, and across the hall from Peter’s.

 

“Do you know where Peter is? Or Luke?”

 

Bruce shook his head. “I haven’t seen Peter since you left. My guess, though, is that he’s in the lab with Shuri. They’ve been busy with whatever they’ve been working on. And Luke… I’m not sure, but someone’s keeping an eye on him.”

 

Percy sighed. “I’ll look for him. After I show Hazel her room, we’ll go find the others.”

 

Bruce watched the two demigods head down a hallway, talking quietly. They were young, too you to have seen what they had. There was something unspoken about Hazel being from the previous century, a weight heavy in Hazel’s eyes, and the crease between Percy’s eyebrows when he revealed she was from a different century. The expression was similar to the one that crossed his face when he talked about someone who had died.

 

He shook it off, mind wandering as he recalled who Hazel’s godly parent was. _I wonder what her powers are…_

 

* * *

“FRIDAY, where’s Luke?” Percy asked as he set his bags down.

 

_Luke is currently in the training room, accompanied by Captain Rogers and Colonel Rhodes. I also believe Mr. Barton is on his way._

 

“Thanks, FRI.” Percy wanted to collapse on the bed and forget about the demigod world for a while, but he couldn’t. He stared at himself in the mirror for a moment, before making his way towards Hazel’s room. There was a lot about the compound he had to fill her in on.

 

“Luke’s in the training room. I thought we could head down there, and I could introduce you to everyone who’s there right now.”

 

Hazel nodded in agreement, following him back towards the elevator, which they took two floors down. The doors opened up, revealing a large room. It was more impressive than what Camp Jupiter had, which surprised Hazel. The Roman camp had a lot of equipment, and a large armory with a wide assortment of weapons. But demigods tended to prefer a bow and arrow, or a blade. However, Hazel knew that some of the heroes preferred more… updated weaponry.

 

“Hey guys,” Percy waved as he led Hazel over to where a small group of people were standing. “This is my cousin, Hazel. She’s going to be staying with us for a while.”

 

“Nice to meet you,” Steve greeted. He proceeded to introduce himself and Rhodes, before pointing over to where Clint was dropping down from the rafters. “And that’s Clint. He likes high up places, so don’t be surprised to see him up in the rafters or climbing through the vents.”

 

Luke had stayed quiet during the introductions, watching the way Hazel reacted to her surroundings. He could tell she was a demigod, but he couldn’t place her godly parent. Not until her arm moved in a certain way that let him see the tattoo on her forearm. It wasn’t a normal tattoo. It was like Percy’s, the SPQR and she too, had two lines.* The parentage symbol was different, and upon seeing it, he took a small step backwards. As someone who had come back to life, he knew that if she said something to her father, he could wind up back in the Underworld. And while he wouldn’t be completely opposed to that, he finally had a chance to live a better life.

 

As if she knew what he was thinking, Hazel turned her gaze to Luke. “I’ve heard about you, Luke. Son of Hermes, back from the dead.”

 

“And you’re Roman. Daughter of Pluto if your tattoo is accurate.”

 

Hazel didn’t appear to be surprised that he figured it out. Knowing that she couldn’t hide it forever, Hazel made the plunge. “Also back from the dead.”

 

Everyone except Percy was surprised by her words. Knowing Luke was back from the dead had been surprise enough for the heroes. In their field of work, it wasn’t a common occurrence. Steve and Bucky were the closest example in their lives. For Luke, to know that there was another demigod back from the dead, living and breathing without worrying about being sent back to the Underworld by _her father_ was unheard of.

 

“How—” Luke started. “How long were you dead?”

 

“Uh, like seventy years?” She tried to do the math in her head. “I was born in 1928. Died in 1942. Nico, my brother brought me back.”

 

“Another one from the nineteen hundreds?” Clint looked incredulous. “How many more of you are there?”

 

“Just Nico, now,” Percy shrugged. “My Greek cousin, son of Hades. He and his sister were from the nineteen hundreds, too. Aged slowly in the Lotus Hotel. Bianca…” he looked away. “Anyway, it’s just Nico and Hazel.”

 

Everyone could tell by the way Percy avoided Bianca’s name that something had to have happened to her. They decided not to press it, knowing that if he ever wanted to talk about it, he would initiate it.

 

“You any good with a sword?” Luke asked, turning the conversation away from a sensitive topic.

 

“You tell me,” she raised an eyebrow as she unstrapped her sword from her side. She liked to keep it on her, but tended to use the Mist to conceal it.

 

“Before you two start sparring, we really should get Peter and Shuri up here,” Percy interjected. “This is something they would want to see. Your powers, too,” he turned towards Hazel. "Only if you want to, though.”

 

Hazel hesitated, then nodded her agreement. Peter had seen some of what she could do when he visited Camp Jupiter, but not everything. She knew from Percy that Shuri was working on finding ways to protect them in battle, and help them control their powers, and it fascinated her, even if she couldn’t keep up with the technology.

 

“FRIDAY, can you tell Peter and Shuri that they’re requested in the training room? And if they try and put it off, tell them that Hazel’s going to show us what she can do. That should get them up here.”

 

_Certainly, Percy._

 

“What was that?” Hazel asked.

 

“FRIDAY is an AI that Tony made,” Rhodes spoke up. “Artificial intelligence. She helps out around here. You can ask her any question you have, or ask her to locate someone for you.”

 

“She’s not the only one he’s created,” Steve continued. “There was Jarvis, first. Then there’s Karen, Peter’s personal AI.”

 

Hazel nodded excitedly. “He told me about Karen. She seems very nice.”

 

“Hazel!” a voice called out, revealed to be Peter as he and Shuri made their way over. “It’s nice to see you again.”

 

“It’s good to see you, too,” she smiled back as they hugged. “And I’m going to guess this is Shuri?”

 

“You would be guessing right, then,” Peter grinned. “I heard you were going to show us what you can do?”

 

“How about the three of us do?” Percy suggested. “Luke wanted to see what Hazel can do, but I think it would be more interesting if the three of us faced off. First round, just our blades. Second, anything’s on the table.” He liked sparring with his cousin. Neither was afraid of the other’s powers or skills, and they knew how far they could push each other without going too far.

 

With terms set, the three demigods stood facing each other, all of them with blades out. Hazel’s Imperial Gold spatha, Riptide, and a sword properly weighted for Luke that had been made for him.

 

It would be a slightly unfair fight. Luke may have started training earlier, but Hazel and Percy had trained more recently, had survived war. But Luke had been the best sword fighter in three hundred years at Camp Half-Blood. Even though Percy had learned some moves from him, had fought him, he couldn’t anticipate everything.

 

Luke made the first move, his sword clashing against the bronze blade of Riptide. Hazel took the opportunity to lunge at Luke, who managed to deflect her blow. They started off cautious, adjusting to each other’s fighting styles. Hazel fought like a Roman, Luke like a Greek, while Percy was a combination of both, and occasionally pulled a move Natasha had taught him.

 

As time went on, they started getting faster, their blades only flashes of gold, silver and bronze. They fought fiercely, eyes determined as they stared each other down.

 

It was a sight for the heroes, who had only seen Percy fight hand to hand with others, who, while having him wield a sword against monsters, hadn’t seen him spar with Riptide.

 

All three were deadly, cunning. It was clear they would all have scrapes and cuts to heal afterwards. It was awe inspiring to see how powerful they were with a simple weapon, and the heroes knew that when they added powers, it would only get more captivating.

 

The demigods didn’t notice the arrival of the other heroes, too focused on dodging each other’s blades. The fight had drawn all the residents of the compound, all watching with wide eyes and bated breath.

 

They only called the first round off when their footsteps started slowing down and the blades started to become heavy in their hands. Peter was at their sides almost immediately, ambrosia, nectar, granola bars, and water in his hands. He passed them out as they sat down next to each other, faces flushed.

 

“Powers allowed?” Luke asked as he stretched his arms. “You two have way more than I do. Slight of hand, and being good with money and locks only goes so far.”

 

“You have strength and speed, dude,” Percy raised an eyebrow. “And did you forget that Thal’s Aegis did nothing to you? Also, I refuse to believe those are all the powers you have. You just want to catch us off guard, don’t you?” At one point, Percy wouldn’t have outwardly questioned Luke. But now, he wasn’t worried. Percy could handle himself, and if he wanted to help Luke be better, they would have to actually talk, voice their thoughts.

 

“So what if I do? I’ve seen what you can do. And Hazel, with her dad…”

 

“You don’t know everything,” Percy shrugged. “Tartarus changes you.”

 

The silence was heavy.

 

“How about we just don’t destroy the place?” Hazel suggested quietly, breaking the silence. “And we don’t try and seriously harm each other. We try and restrict each other, show what we can do. I know I can destroy, and so can Percy. We can all hurt each other. But this is just sparring.”

 

Luke and Percy shared a glance, before agreeing.

 

They all stood up, turning to face each other again.

 

Percy blinked, and all of a sudden, Luke was holding onto the rafters, feet dangling above their heads. Percy frowned as he caught a flash of blond hair to his right, shaking his head to see through the Mist illusion Hazel had created.  He raised his hand, calling on nearby water that encircled Hazel, keeping her stuck in one spot as he made the ground rumble underneath Luke’s feet, making it hard for the son of Hermes to balance. The rumbling grew stronger as Hazel shook the foundation of the building, using her connection to the earth. Nearby metal and gems started sliding across the floor towards her, but were gone in a flash, Luke’s quick fingers stashing them away. Luke dodged the weapons flying towards him easily, body moving fluidly. He closed his eyes, concentrating, and then, he was on the opposite side of the room. He grinned, shoving Percy enough that the younger demigod’s focus wavered, letting Hazel free. She used the opportunity to build up brick walls around Luke and Percy, adding another layer as Percy broke them down.

 

Instead of waiting for Percy to break out, Luke teleported out. His fingers grabbed Riptide right before he left, placing it into Hazel’s pocket when she got close. Luke knew it would eventually show back up in Percy’s pocket, but it wouldn’t matter. He watched as Percy frowned, realizing his pocket was empty.

 

Riptide was a safety line. It ensured him that he would always have a way to protect himself. After everything that had happened, feeling the smooth plastic of the pen put him at ease.

 

Luke used the distraction to nudge Percy over towards Hazel, before grabbing a rope he spotted, wrapping it up around them, tight enough they couldn’t break through it in ease, but not enough to be painful or to leave marks.

 

Luke had always had to work hard to prove himself. He might have been one of the best sword fighters in history, but when it came to powers, he was unimpressive. Compared to Thalia, Percy, even compared to Katie and Will. Katie could grow vines, use them to her advantage. Will was good at healing, had been blessed by Apollo.

 

Children of Hermes were fast, and had nimble fingers. They were good at lying, good at stealing. That’s all anyone thought they did. To be fair, they didn’t have powers like other demigods, didn’t have the super smarts of the children of Athena. Luke had gotten a power from his father that not many of his siblings had. He was able to teleport, but only short distances, and only a limited amount of times before burning off most of his energy. He didn’t use it often. As he became more bitter towards his father, and the other gods, he avoided using what his father had given him, not wanting to be associated with the god of travelers. He learned to rely on his strength of sword fighting. Kronos had believed in him, and by manipulating Luke, had turned him.

 

He had won in fights, and in training, against Thalia and Annnabeth and Percy, in the past. He would not be underestimated anymore. Luke had a chance to be something different, but in no life, would he let himself be stepped on.

 

It didn’t matter if he was surrounded by superheroes who saved the world, with Hazel and Percy, two demigod children of the Big Three who had also saved the world. He was important, too.

 

* * *

“Not bad, Castellan,” Nat raised an eyebrow.“You’re fast, you play to your strengths.”

 

“Stupid son of Hermes stealing skills,” Percy mumbled as he held Riptide in his hand. “Nearly gave me a panic attack.”

 

“FRIDAY, can you get Dr. Banner to bring Andi down?” Peter asked. He knew Percy had said it casually, but then again, Percy didn't like talking about his feelings.

 

_Certainly, Peter. I’ll have Dr. Banner bring Lola down as well._

 

As Peter untied his two friends, he scanned their faces, worried. He knew what Percy had faced, and knew Hazel had faced a lot, too. 

 

Andi whined as she nudged her face against Percy’s side, getting his attention. Bruce made hisway over towards the adults, who were talking about the fight they had just seen.

 

“Hey, girl,” Percy murmured as he wrapped his arm around her. “I’m okay.”

 

“Please, be careful if you’re taking Riptide,” Peter directed his comment at Luke as he leaned down to scratch behind Lola’s ear. “It helps remind Percy that he’s protected. It’s a safety line for him. He’s okay now, but it won’t be the same every time.” 

 

Luke’s expression didn’t change, but he nodded. He understood that demigods faced many horrors, that when they were finally starting to make headway, that he shouldn’t make it harder.

 

“But you were good,” Peter admitted. “I wasn't expecting you to hold up so well to their powers. Percy and Hazel are really impressive. I know how much they can do.”

 

“Well, when they’re not using their powers to their full potential, it’s easier,” Luke shrugged. “I’ve faced another child of the Big Three before. You just have to figure out their patterns.”

 

“Next time, I won’t go so easy on you, Castellan,” Percy warned, a joking edge to his voice.

 

“Neither will I,” Hazel joined them. Her hair had been pulled back from her face, revealing her golden eyes that were sparkling mischievously. “Neither will I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *in canon, she has one from before meeting Percy, but I like to think that Percy, Jason, Hazel, Frank, and Reyna received another bar of service for their role in the second Great Prophecy.


	13. Insight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thalia, Luke, and MJ all reflect upon the situation at hand, and we get an insight to their lives and thoughts.

Thalia had only been to New Rome twice before, and both very briefly as she passed through California with the Hunt. This time, however, she had a goal in mind. She was meeting Reyna at the Senate, to ask her if there was any news from New York. Reyna was closer to Hazel than she was, and would also more likely hear from Percy. The praetor and the son of Poseidon had gotten closer over the past months, closer than Thalia was to her cousin, even though she knew him years longer. Reyna was also closer to Peter.

 

She was let into camp by the guards, that day being Bobby and Gwen, two of the only Romans Thalia knew besides Hazel, Frank, Reyna, and her brother. They had their friend Dakota show her around as they waited for Reyna to be done with the Senate meeting.

 

It was her first time seeing all of New Rome, and she had to admit, it was impressive. Camp Half-Blood was just a camp, and most people only came for the summer. The number of year-rounders was lower than summer attendees. But in New Rome, they all lived there. Camp Jupiter was part of something bigger. Demigods living lives without worrying about being chased by monsters, starting families and growing old. It’s something she never thought she would see.

 

She herself, would never grow old, wouldn’t start a family, not in the way the Romans were. Instead, she would forever be fifteen, her family being her friends and the Hunters, many of which she would outlive. She would watch her friends be put to rest one day, say goodbye to Annabeth, Percy, Grover, Jason. Even now, she appeared younger than them, though she had lived more years. They were sixteen, seventeen years old. She should be seven years older than Jason, but with her time as a tree, and her time being immortal, she appeared to be younger.

 

It was odd to her, to know that one day, people might think she was Jason’s cousin, or daughter, or niece, rather than his big sister. She would watch generation after generation grow up, until there was no one she knew left besides the Hunters.

 

She tried not to dwell on those thoughts, tried to push them to the side. There was a time to facethem, but now wasn’t the time. She tuned back into what Dakota was a telling her as they walked through gardens. They were beautiful, and she could imagine couples or families having picnics as the sun set. She could picture fireworks overhead, fading into constellations as night fell.

 

“It’s gorgeous,” Thalia admitted when Dakota asked her what she thought of it. “I never thought there would be a place like this for demigods. Once you’re here, you’re safe. But for us, for the Greeks,” she clarified, “we have camp for a summer. Not many people stay year round. If we had a place like this, I wonder who would still be alive.”

 

Dakota became somber. “For what it’s worth, I wish you guys had a place like this, too.”

 

* * *

“Thalia,” Reyna smiled. “Sit down, please.”

 

Thalia took the offered seat, before looking around the room. It was the praetors’ office, with portraits up of past praetors up on the walls. The two most recent were faces she recognized: Jason and Percy. Every praetor, unless they disgraced New Rome, was honored on the wall. When they stepped down, or they passed, a portrait was hung. Even Percy, who had barely even had the title, was honored. New Rome raised him on a shield, had believed and trusted that he could lead them. A Greek with the highest title in New Rome.

 

“So one day you’ll be up there, too, huh? Going down in history.”

 

Reyna shrugged. “This position is an honor. It is a lot of work, and everyone elected to the position was elected due to their character, hard work, and their belief and loyalty to those of New Rome. It is a title I wear with pride. I would be honored to be remembered alongside those who came before me. Everyone on the wall has felt the same way.”

 

Thalia smiled. “For us, it’s usually the oldest with the most experience who’s head counselor of their cabin. We don’t have technical leaders of the camp, but we always have unofficial ones. Percy and Annabeth have had that title for a while.” Though she rarely spent any time at camp, she still considered it a safe place. Annabeth and Percy were there, and Jason was found there fairly often. They were her family, now. Jason, by blood. Annabeth from their found family on the streets. Percy, her cousin. The Hunters were family now, too, but it was different. There were things they didn’t understand in the way Annabeth or Percy or even Jason would. “Anyway, that’s not what I’m here to talk to you about. I wanted to talk to you about what’s going on in New York.”

 

“I’m not sure,” Reyna shrugged. “Hazel is with Percy and Peter now. However, she hasn’t given me much to work with, though I’m not surprised. Whatever it is, Percy’s trying to keep it from certain people. Therefore, whoever could tell them also can’t know, or they’re sworn to secrecy.”

 

“It’s not like I don’t trust my cousin. But something about this situation is nagging me. Something does’t feel right.” Thalia hadn’t felt this level of unease in many years. It was the type of unease she felt before she found out who poisoned her tree, the unease she felt right before finding out Annabeth had been stabbed, the feeling in her stomach before meeting Jason for the first time in over a decade.

 

“I understand,” Reyna replied softly. “We always have to be ready for anything. So, we will. I will find a group of Romans that can work with a few of your Hunters, and a few Greeks, so we can be prepared. I do not believe this is too threatening to us, or Percy would have told us. But whatever it is, it will definitely be surprising for us.”

 

“Thank you, Reyna,” Thalia smiled. “You’re probably right about all of this. I will find a few Hunters who would like to help.”

 

“Good. Now, since you’re here, I’d like to show you a few places that aren’t on the normal tour. Bobby, Dakota and Gwen would like you to join us for dinner tonight, if you can stay a little while longer.”

 

Thalia hesitated, then agreed. A little time away from the stress and responsibilities of being the lieutenant of the Hunters. She enjoyed it, but wouldn’t mind a little down time. Artemis had told her she could have two days if it was needed.

 

And Reyna had just offered her the perfect opportunity to relax and recharge.

 

* * *

 

Luke was pretty much adjusted to the new world he was now a part of. Some of it was easy; the training, the powers, the putting oneself in danger. It came with being a demigod, and it came with be an Avenger. He also wasn’t the only demigod around. Though he and Percy had never been extremely close, and still weren’t, they had an understanding.

 

They trained together daily, pushing each other to be better. Luke had been the one to train Percy, had been the best sword fighter in about three hundred years. Percy fought in his own style: mostly Greek with a little Roman, and a few moves he had picked up from Natasha while sparring. They were both quick on their feet, and knew how far they could push each other.

 

The superheroes weren’t as wary around him anymore. Natasha and Bucky helped him with training, both with and without a weapon, when they were there at the same time as him. Steve had invited Luke on runs, and asked him questions to get to know him past what Percy had told them. Though Percy hadn’t only told them negative things, there was a lot about Luke’s life that the son of Poseidon didn’t know. Clint had invited Luke to prank Steve and T’Challa, and showed him a few hiding places. Though they were ones that Clint, Natasha, Tony, and Peter knew about, they were more secluded if one needed some time to think. Rhodes welcomed discussions about anything the demigod found interesting, and offered to help Luke figure out what he wanted from life, now that he was free from prophecies. Bruce was still often in and out of the many labs, but had shown Luke around the compound and had shown him where the recipe books were if he ever wanted them. Tony was still the most wary, but he knew that people could turn their lives around. He had. He told Luke that FRIDAY could answer any question he had, and that if the demigod needed anything (within reason), he could just ask.

 

FRIDAY still watched over him, but his security clearance level had been increased a little. He had his own room, and though there weren’t many personal touches, it was _his_. He hadn’t had his own room since before he ran away from home.

 

Shuri and Peter were nearly done with whatever they were working on for him, and Luke was thankful to them. They didn’t know him, or owe him anything. Luke knew they knew what he had done in his first life. Still, just like Percy, they were willing to give him a second chance.

 

It was odd to be given a chance to be better. But he knew that the hardest to face would be Thalia and Annabeth, and he wouldn’t blame them if they couldn’t forgive him. He had left their family behind, and shattered their trust. He tried to manipulate them to join his side, and his actions led to them getting hurt. He was supposed to have been their family, but he became their enemy.

 

He wasn’t ready to face them. He didn’t know if he ever would be, even though he knew it would have to happen eventually. But he wanted to get better first, to work through his thought process to be able to have a real conversation with them, if they were willing.

 

Luke also wanted to figure out what his recent nightmares meant. He was used to nightmares being a demigod, of dreams recounting the past, or foretelling the future.

 

Luke hated his nightmares. There was one in particular that he had been having since he had come back to life and made his was to the Avengers compound. The dream consisted of him, strapped upright to a table with some sort of helmet on his head. Figures dressed in black surrounded him, the room dark enough that he couldn’t quite make out their faces. They were reciting words to him, but he couldn’t hear them. It felt like he was underwater. There was a dam keeping most of their words out, but a few slipped by.

 

He started screaming, for help and out of pain.

 

Then he would wake up.

 

* * *

MJ knew that Peter was up to something. He usually invited her over to the compound at least once a month, along with Ned. MJ had her own room in the compound, and Ned was on his way to having one.

 

However, it had been longer than usual without getting the usual ramblings from Peter. He updated them daily in their group chat about his day. He talked about patrol, what the Avengers had been up to, what he did in the lab, what he and Percy did, or reminisce on whatever the three of them had just gotten back from doing. There was never a day they didn’t get at least five texts, at least, not without warning. He had hard days, certain anniversaries that he would be silent on. They knew about those. And on the days were memories sprung up, or he just didn’t want to get out of bed, he sent them the rain cloud emoji. It was their thing to let the others know that they were alive, but they needed some space.

 

But three days had passed since the last message from Peter, and there had been no rain cloud or any anniversaries. May hadn’t seen worried, so MJ didn’t press too much.

 

MJ, May, and Ned had a separate group chat, we they informed each other about what might set Peter off on a certain day, or if anything happened. He would likely keep it to himself, but they wanted to make sure that he was okay. May offered the same to them, offering them a place to stay if they needed to for any reason. It was nice to have May Parker in their lives.

 

“You okay, Michelle?” Dylan looked at her concerned.

 

MJ waved his concern off. As much as she loved her brother, this was not something she could talk to him about. When it came to Peter being Spider-Man, it was his choice who knew. And MJ was sure that whatever was going on with her friend had something to do with the Avengers. The compound had been on lockdown, and she wouldn’t put it passed her friend to somehow be involved with whatever the situation was. 

 

Though she knew he could handle himself and had backup, she was still worried about her friend. She knew there were things wasn’t telling her or Ned, and maybe not even telling his aunt. He didn’t want to worry them, but worried anyway. It was nice to know he had Tony Stark to talk to who would understand the life of a superhero, and Percy who understood facing traumatic incidents while trying to keep people as a teenager. But he was keeping stuff from her,, Ned, and May when they were just trying to help.

 

“I’m good.” MJ forced the worried look that wanted to appear away.

 

“If you’re sure,” Dylan frowned. He knew not to push his sister into spilling whatever was bothering her, but he wanted her to know she could talk to him. They had always been close, but everything had changed with the death of their parents. They only had each other now. Dylan had a job now, and MJ had one more year of high school left. They had the Parkers and Tony Stark on their side if they needed help, but they were both determined to do as much as possible themselves.

 

“Hey, there’s a protest coming up this weekend,” MJ attempted to draw her brother’s attention towards something else. “About the horrible work conditions of the employees at Titan Industries. I was planning on going. You can join me, if you’re free.”

 

“Yeah, I think I could spare a day to spend some time with my favorite sister.”

 

MJ rolled her eyes, but there was fondness evident. “I’m your only sister.”

 

“Ah, that doesn’t stop you from being my favorite, though.” He gently nudged her. “Even when you were a baby who took all the attention away from me.”

 

“Aw, you’re so sweet,” MJ replied sarcastically. But she nudged him back, before moving over to allow him to sit next to him on the couch. “Pass the popcorn.”

 

Dylan shook his head, amused as he passed his sister the popcorn over as she started the movie up. Though they were still getting used to living without their parents, they were making progress. They had each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a hint at a new plot line that I'm going to start in this chapter. I'm excited to see where this idea takes me. There will be some angst! maybe some whump.
> 
> I felt like we needed more MJ, but she's removed from the current situation, so I decided we'd see how she's reacting to everything instead. I also want to create a Thalia/Reyna friendship, one that will help when Luke's existence is revealed.
> 
> Like always, if you have any ideas, feel free to let me know!


	14. Growth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke opens up, and Shuri and Peter finish their inventions.

Percy was sitting on the roof, legs dangling off the side, when Luke approached. The older demigod sat down next to him, turning his face to look up at the stars.

 

“Which one’s your favorite?” Percy asked quietly. “Constellation, I mean.”

 

Luke was silent as he contemplated the question. “I don’t know if I have a favorite,” he admitted. “Annabeth used to like to tell me and Thalia the stories of the stars. Our favorite was usually whichever one she was most excited to tell us about.”

 

Percy smiled softly. “She does love the stories, doesn’t she?”

 

Luke hummed in agreement. “What about you? Have a favorite?”

 

“The Huntress,” Percy pointed it out. “It’s a new one. Only a few years old. Her name was Zoe.”

 

“You knew her.”

 

Percy nodded. “The former lieutenant of Artemis. We went to save Annabeth and Artemis. They were holding up the world. Zoe was one of the ones on the quest. She died at her father’s hand. She knew it was going to be her, but she came anyways. She died in front of us, and Artemis put her in the sky to honor her, and so she could watch over us. I like to find her and talk to her, so she knows she hasn’t been forgotten.”

 

“Did she make Elysium?”

 

“Yeah, all the Hunters who fell during the war were fast-tracked to Elysium. Artemis made sure Hades followed through. They were good people. They all were.”

 

Luke was quiet for a moment. He was tempted to ask about some of his siblings, but he didn’t know if he wanted to hear they died because of his actions. In the end, he decided he needed to know. “Are Connor and Travis— okay?”

 

Percy looked surprised at the question. “Yeah, yeah, they're okay. They’re both at camp. They were a big help when the Romans arrived at camp.”

 

“Good, that’s good.” Luke absentmindedly rubbed his wrists, trying to get rid of the phantom pain he had been feeling for days.

 

“They miss you, you know.” Percy didn’t know if it was the right thing to say, but it was true. “Even after everything you did, they never stopped seeing you as a brother. You’re family to them. They made sure people knew you saved us, in the end. They didn't want people to forget your heroic death.”

 

Luke grimaced. “It’s my fault everything happened. Giving my life for those left doesn’t make up for all the lives lost. I’m not going to forgive the gods for letting us die, for letting us have the awful childhoods so many of us had. But I do regret how I tried to change it.”

 

“It might not be what you wanted, what we wish we had, but it is getting better. There are more cabins for all the gods. Every demigod that comes to us is claimed by age thirteen. It’s something. And the Romans have the right idea. They have a community where they can live, grow up and create families without fear of being found by monsters. There’s still a lot to fix. But there’s potential. Leo made us phones we can use that the monsters can’t track, and Peter is trying to use that technology to make cloaking devices so we can live in the mortal world without worry.”

 

Luke didn’t want to be hopeful about the future of demigods, but he had to admit that there was potential. Though he wasn’t a hug fan of the gods, it seemed that whatever Percy and Annabeth, along with others, did after his death, was helping.

 

* * *

Luke was trying to keep himself awake. His nightmares were getting more vivid. He could feel the bands around his wrists and ankles holding him in place. He would wake up feeling pain in his wrists, and the echo of his screams ringing in his ears.

 

He hadn’t slept much in the past few days, using the extra time to train. He knew he wasn’t the only one awake, but he didn’t bother tracking down Tony or Bruce, or whoever else might be awake. He was used to dealing with things on his own.

 

He knew that the others would know he was awake. FRIDAY always knew what was going on around the compound, updating her logs in case anyone had to go back to find information. However, unless someone wanted to talk to someone, or was doing something troublesome, the AI let them be.

 

Sometimes, as Luke slipped out of his room at three in the morning, he would spot Andi or Lola looking at him curiously from the slightly cracked open door of Percy or Peter’s room. The doors were kept open in case the dogs needed anything while the boys were asleep. They usually stayed by Peter and Percy’s sides, but on good nights, without nightmares, they would sometimes wander around.

 

Andi and Lola would often stick together, but sometimes, Andi would slip away and watch Luke while he trained in the gym, before disappearing to rejoin Lola in the common room. Luke wasn’t sure as to why she seemed so interested in him, but he didn’t mind her company. She couldn’t ask him questions, but he wasn’t alone. He was unsure as if Percy knew what his dog got up to in the middle of the night, but if he did, he didn’t say anything, which Luke was grateful for.

 

It was nice for Luke to have a living being around him who wouldn’t judge, and who he didn’t have to talk to. Andi, or sometimes Lola, would just sit in the same room as him. It was comforting to not be alone, but also not have the pressure to hold a conversation.

 

* * *

Peter hummed under his breath as he tinkered with the silver disk on the table in front of him. He was close to completing his project, but there were still a few things to work out. It was a small, compact object, so he had to be careful that he didn’t mess anything up.

 

He glanced up to watch Shuri fit the gauntlets she had finished on Percy, making sure they fit right and functioned correctly. With the press of a button, the retreated into themselves, turning into bracelets.

 

“Peter!” Shuri called. “How close to being done are you? We’re going to test these out soon.”

 

“Uh,” Peter turned back to look at his project. “Give me ten more minutes?”

 

He got a thumbs up from his two friends as Shuri went back to explaining the gauntlets to Percy so the training would go more smoothly.

 

Peter fiddled with the wires, before turning his attention to the cloaking device. He still wasn’t sure exactly how it worked; he would have to talk to Leo about that. However, he figured out enough that he was able to take the part out of the demigod-safe phone to use in the disk he was making. He was going to turn it into a pendant. The Greek demigods could hang them alongside their beads, and the Roman demigods could make them into whatever they wanted that would be most convenient.

 

Luke would have the first one, to keep him hidden from the gods. The second would be for Percy, to try and keep the monsters from finding him. Third, he wanted to make one for Hazel, also to help keep the monsters away. Children of the Big Three had to deal with more monsters than any other demigod. Fourth, he wanted to make one for Reyna. She was one of his closest demigod friends, and he wanted to ensure she was safe. After that, he would make more for whoever wanted one. He would need more parts from Leo, and though it would take time, now that Peter had made it once, the rest would go more smoothly.

 

Peter was waiting for the pendant to emanate a blue light, which would let him know it was activated. The glow would die down after ten seconds, allowing it to be more inconspicuous. As it glowed, Peter beamed. “I got it!”

 

Percy grinned, congratulating his friend. “Way to go, dude! I know Luke will be thankful. Between you and Leo, life as a demigod is going to get easier and safer.”

 

“I’m glad I could help,” Peter responded. “I’ve heard your stories about your lives, and if I can help even one of you…”

 

Percy nodded. He understood. For Peter, this was something he could accomplish, to help powered teens just like him, who often didn’t have an adult figure to go to, at least outside of Chiron while at camp. It was a world that though he wasn’t 100% of, and never would since he wasn’t a demigod, he was accepted by. A world that he could help, that the other heroes couldn’t do as much, even if they wanted to. Sure, Tony and T’Challa helped by giving them resources and giving Peter and Percy their dogs. But Peter’s invention would help a large scale group, and it was thanks to Leo that Peter even had the opportunity.

 

Percy wanted to talk to Tony about the dogs. He knew of other demigods who would benefit from a service dog, or a therapist who knew about what they had been through. They had to keep their world a secret, so it was hard to get the help they needed sometimes.Sixteen year olds couldn’t go into any old therapist’s office and say they were traumatized by the war they had been in two years ago, talk about the horrors they had seen or all the friends who had died due to monsters or war. They couldn’t explain what it was like to face Kronos, the titan inhabiting the body of someone they had used to trust. They couldn’t talk about how they feared their powers, or the guilt they carried about not being able to help someone being turned towards the Titans’ side. They couldn’t talk about how they only felt safe when they had their shield, or sword, or bow and arrows on them. How they were plagued by dreams that would come true, that told their future. That could foresee tragedy. They couldn’t talk about being one of the heroes of an ancient prophecy as a teenager, or what it’s like to have a distant god as a parent. There was no talk about Tartarus, or Zoe, a friend turned into stars. No talk of control over poison, or the earth, or the fear that with every time one turned into an animal, they might lose some of their humanity. No talk about the fear that they had killed a parent, or that they had to in order to keep themselves and a sibling alive. No talk about what it was like to be a tree for years, or of watching a loved one take a stand at such a young age to save someone else. No talk about what it was like have visions that foretold the future, or of issuing prophecies that they wouldn’t remember when the fog cleared. No talk of their childhoods that had been far from happy.

 

Percy wanted them to have the chance he was getting. It wasn't fair to him that they had to keep their suffering to themselves when he had a therapist, and a service dog, and Peter and the other superheroes that could offer advice or coping mechanisms.

 

Peter agreed with him, and they were planning on proposing their idea soon. When MJ had found out what they wanted to do, she took charge. She was doing research to help them, knowing that though Tony would insist on backing them financially, and that his name would bring attention to the good they were trying to do, they had to do some of it themselves. She was the one who suggested not only opening it for demigods, but for others, children and adults, who couldn’t afford it otherwise. Both Peter and Percy approved of the idea. They still had some more work to do, but they were planning on talking to Tony when Percy came back in October for his fall break. Percy was going to talk to Reyna to find out how much she benefited from her dogs, and MJ and Peter would do research into the best programs for inspiration.

 

They wanted to make a difference.

 

* * *

Shuri, Peter, Hazel, Tony and Natasha were gathered around a table on the pool deck. They were facing Percy, who stood in front of them.

 

Shuri nodded to Percy to let him know to start testing the gauntlets. She was recording the results with her kimoyo beads to use when she started her next project.

 

Percy pressed the small button on the bracelets, watching as they expanded. The material covered his forearms, hiding his legion tattoo. They were a dark turquoise color, sleek and compact. They were supposed to enhance his powers, as well as allow him to shoot energy blasts at monsters that would incapacitate them. The blasts also contained a small amount of celestial bronze that Shuri had collected from a shaved down blade, so the less powerful monsters could be sent back to Tartarus quickly.

 

Calling on the water of the pool, Percy felt the familiar tugging sensation in his stomach. The water surrounded the gauntlets as Percy turned them towards a target on the nearby tree. He didn’t have to concentrate too much for the water blast to hit it with ease, carrying the celestial bronze energy blast with it. It was a lot of power, which Percy had originally been uneasy about. He knew how power could mess with someone’s head, and he didn’t want to accidentally hurt someone he cared about. However, Shuri had promised that they would recognize the signature of a demigod, and wouldn’t be able to hurt them.

 

While Percy preferred having Riptide in his hand, since he was so used to his trusty blade, he might not always have the sword on him. It would always come back to him, but until it did, he was without a weapon. With his track record, having a backup would be beneficial. And his sword was for close combat, while the gauntlets would allow him to fight from afar. In the sense of battle strategy, they were only beneficial.

 

“I’ll help you train with them,” Shuri offered up. “They’re different from mine, since they enhance your powers, but the basics are the same. Also, I made them.”

 

Tony grinned at her. He liked having Peter around, partly because the teen could keep up with him in the lab, and bring new ideas that Tony himself might not have thought of. He still had to get to know Shuri better, but he knew the girl would fit in perfectly well. He knew Peter, MJ and Ned would help change the world. MJ with her passion for social justice and the knowledge she had about the causes she was passionate about. Ned, who was so easily able to hack the Spider-Man suit from a hotel room on a laptop. Peter was the kindest person Tony had met, whose intelligence rivaled his own who helped anyone he could, and would even without Spider-Man. And now, Shuri. She designed tools, weapons, Black Panther suits. A whole country ran on her technology.

 

“If you two are going to try with those, maybe I should give Peter a little upgrade, hm?”

 

Peter turned his wide eyes toward Tony. “Mr. Stark, you don’t have to!” Even now, Peter still wasn’t used to his mentor giving him so many things. Peter didn’t need them, but he knew he couldn’t get the man to stop. It was one of the ways he showed his affection.

 

“I never do, kiddo, but I want to. You’re not the only one busy in the lab. Bruce and I have been working on a few things for you. Upgrades to your suit, for one. A few other things, but it’s not the right time for all of them.” Tony didn’t want to admit, yet, that he had made an Iron suit for Peter. Peter already had his Spider-Man suit, and the Iron Spider suit. The newest one would stay hidden, locked away next to Pepper’s, with the newest upgrade for Rhodey. They were the three people Tony most wanted to keep safe. And if creating personalized Iron suits for them was the best way he knew how to do it, then so be it.

 

Natasha smiled, amused at the look on Peter’s face. Though half the time he and Tony were joking around and laughing, past the hero worship, there were a few instances were it seemed it never left. It was good for Tony to have someone like Peter around. The teen could ground him when he needed it, but also helped boost his self-esteem on the bad days. It was something he had needed, someone to look after, who also looked after him.

 

She knew how much they had both lost. She knew how much their civil war had broken them all, but knew Tony suffered the most. She had been on the run, but she hadn’t been alone. Tony had Rhodes, but Rhodes had been hurt, and Natasha knew Tony would blame it on himself. Bruce and Thor hadn’t be around, and Tony had to deal with Ross. She knew without a doubt that Tony could’ve found them if he wanted to, but she also knew, even after everything, he wouldn’t turn them in. Natasha trusted him.

 

“Then I’ll take Hazel with me and train with her,” Nat glanced over at the other demigod. “She would’ve made a good SHIELD agent.”

 

“Alright, you heard the super-spy,” Tony chuckled. “Looks like you all have training to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm excited to start bringing in a new plot line to this story that centers around Luke. This story will likely have about 20 chapters, or as many as it takes until Percy and Annabeth go off to New Rome University. Thank you for sticking with me through my irregular updates.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I have a ton of ideas for this story. I wanted to get a chapter up to see how interested people are. I'll be updating this story whenever I have the chance. If there's anything you want to see, or prompts or quotes you want me to incorporate into this story, feel free to let me know!
> 
> ~~Please, no Infinity War spoilers! My finals week starts this week, so I haven't had time to see it yet! Also, please don't ruin it for anyone else who hasn't seen it yet!~~


End file.
